Congressmen told to plug loopholes in anti-dynasty bills

THE PHILIPPINES’ election chief on Tuesday urged lawmakers to craft a clear-cut bill banning political dynasties, warning that loopholes could allow powerful families to skirt restrictions as the House of Representatives began efforts to curb their political dominance.

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Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said lawmakers should clearly define the grounds for disqualifying political candidates under the proposal, noting that the election body has limited authority to bar contenders from running.

“This discussion about the issue of dynasties is useless if we don’t know who can be disqualified,” he told lawmakers at a House of Representatives hearing, “We have a problem because in all 21 bills, each one offers different remedies.”

He said some bills propose canceling a political candidate’s certificate of candidacy, while others call for outright disqualification, a distinction he described as significant.

“The implications of disqualification and cancellation are different,” he said. “The expectation is that someone might be removed from running, and that could cause issues.”