Four governance reform bills

After being lectured upon, shamed and ordered, unanCourt to return, asap, the P60 billion hijacked by his Cabinet people from cash-starved PhilHealth to boost the General Appropriations Act (GAA, or budget) with extra cash, only for the money to be waylaid by the corrupt, President Bongbong Marcos Jr. (PBBM) has executed a PR masterstroke.

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PBMM has asked Congress and the Senate to prioritize passage of four landmark reform measures: the AntiDynasty bill; Independent People's Commission Act; Party-list System Reform Act and a Citizens Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability or CADENA Act that seeks to institutionalize transparency and accountability in the budget process.

The four are economic, political and social reform pieces of legislation. Two- the Anti-Dynasty Bill and the Party-List Reform-have languished in the legislative mill for decades, ignored by a Congress 80 percent of whose members come from political and economic dynasties.

If the bills become laws, if indeed that is President Marcos' fervent desire, they will usher in a new era of governance never seen in this country - one that is clean, honest, transparent, inclusive, democratic and truly a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

An Anti-Dynasty law will stop families' decades of monopoly over elective and appointive government positions. Initially to be covered are those related by second degree of consanguinity (based on genes) or affinity (by marriage)-grandparents, brothers, sisters, parents and children, husbands and their wives and/or mistresses and their children.

An academic definition of a political dynasty is a family with at least two of its members securing at least one elected position in at least two elections.

Under an Anti-Dynasty Bill filed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson, no second degree relative of an incumbent elective official seeking re-election shall be allowed to hold or run for any elective office in the same city and/or province in the same election.