📷: Courtesy of namfrel.org
Former Bayan Muna Representative and human rights lawyer Carlos Isagani Zarate on Thursday challenged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent the long-pending Anti-Political Dynasty Bill, calling it the ultimate test of the administration’s anti-corruption campaign.
Zarate cited House Bill (HB) Nos. 209 and 4784, filed by the Makabayan Bloc, which aim to finally implement the 1987 Constitutional mandate prohibiting political dynasties. He stressed that the concentration of political power within a few families continues to undermine governance and accountability.
“The greatest enabler of corruption in our nation is the system of political dynasties, where a few families treat public office as a private heirloom,” Zarate said.
He added, “If President Marcos Jr. is truly serious about fighting corruption, he must recognize that the root of the problem lies in the decades-long control of political power by a privileged few. Political dynasties breed impunity, erode checks and balances, and ensure that public service is treated as a birthright rather than a public trust.”
Zarate noted that Bayan Muna and the broader Makabayan Bloc have consistently filed anti-dynasty measures since 2001, in line with Article II, Section 26 of the Constitution, which directs the State to “guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.”
Despite this constitutional command, Congress, often dominated by dynastic families, has failed to pass an enabling law.
HB Nos. 209 and 4784 seek to ban relatives within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, including parents, children, siblings, and cousins, from simultaneously holding or running for national or local office, or from directly succeeding an incumbent relative.
“These bills are the key to leveling the political playing field and opening up the doors of public service to competent and honest leaders from all sectors of society,” Zarate emphasized.
He concluded, “By certifying these bills as urgent, President Marcos Jr. can send a definitive signal that his administration is ready to dismantle the political structures that have hampered democratic development and fueled corruption for generations.” (ZIA LUNA)
