Sandro, Speaker Dy’s bill legalizes political dynasties, experts decry

Simple logic. If P implies Q and Q implies R, then P implies R.

- JARIUS BONDOC

House Speaker Faustino Dy III and Majority Leader Sandro Marcos are political dynasts. Their interest is to prolong dynastic power. Therefore, they will not end dynasticism.

Their anti-dynasty bill is a farce. It feigns to ban simultaneous candidacies of political kinsmen. But it slyly legitimizes clan control of congressional districts, provinces, cities and municipalities.

Their bill further bastardizes congressional party-lists. It politicizes barangays, whose elections should be nonpartisan.

A dynasty consists of relatives by blood and marriage up to the fourth degree. It covers spouses, parents, offspring, siblings, grandparents and great-grandparents, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, uncles, aunts, nephews, nieces and first cousins. Illegitimate and half-blood kin included.

The 1987 Constitution forbids dynasties in order to equalize opportunities for public office. It left to Congress the legislating of scope. House Bill 6771s five provisos are vague:

(1) If a person is an incumbent or candidate for any national position, the spouse and above relatives are prohibited to hold any elective national position.

(2) If for member of the House of Reps, the spouse and relatives are prohibited to simultaneously hold the same position within the same legislative district.

(3) If for any provincial position, they are prohibited to simultaneously hold any position in the same provincial government.