In an unprecedented move, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed Congress to fast-track four key reform bills, including the long-delayed anti-political dynasty bill.
In a meeting with the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), Marcos instructed House and Senate leaders to give priority to the Anti-Dynasty Bill, the proposed Independent People’s Commission Act, the Party-List System Reform Act, and the Citizens Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act.
According to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, the president urged lawmakers to take a closer look at the proposals and ensure their swift passage, stressing that the measures are essential to strengthening transparency, accountability, and fairness in governance.
The directive comes amid renewed public scrutiny of political dynasties and corruption following recent controversies, as well as longstanding gaps in implementing constitutional provisions requiring equal access to public service.
Support from allies
The directive was immediately followed by support from House leaders, with Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos filing House Bill No. 6771.
In their explanatory note, they described the measure as a “long-overdue step” to operationalize Article II, Section 26 of the Constitution, which mandates the prohibition of political dynasties “as may be defined by law.”
HB 6771 proposes to bar spouses, siblings, and relatives within the fourth civil degree of an incumbent elected official from simultaneously holding specific elective posts.
Dy and Marcos urged their colleagues to approve the anti-dynasty bill without delay, saying it seeks to uphold integrity, competitiveness, and inclusivity in public office and fulfill a constitutional mandate left unaddressed for nearly four decades.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) also expressed support for the passage of an anti-political dynasty law.
Comelec Chair George Garcia said the initiative aligns with the principle that “the Constitution must at all times reign supreme,” noting that public office should be accessible to any Filipino willing to serve.
“Equal opportunity for public service must be guaranteed,” Garcia said.
Calls from opposition and progressive groups
Before Marcos’ pronouncement, several measures seeking to regulate political dynasties had already been filed by progressive lawmakers in both chambers, including members of the MAKABAYAN bloc, the Liberal Party, and the Akbayan Party, among others.
Some lawmakers, however, noted that designating the measures as “priority” does not automatically speed up their passage.
Sen. Bam Aquino, author of the CADENA Act, welcomed the President’s directive but emphasized the need to act decisively to curb corruption.
Meanwhile, Rep. Leila de Lima questioned why the measures were not certified as urgent, saying the scale of corruption required faster legislative action.
Under congressional rules, an urgent certification would allow a bill to be passed on second and third reading on the same day.
Human rights lawyer and former senatorial candidate Chel Diokno also stressed the difference between “priority” and “urgent.”
“Kung sinsero ang Pangulo, dapat sinertipikahan niya bilang ‘urgent’ ang panukalang batas natin… at ang Anti-Political Dynasty Bill,” Diokno stressed.
Meanwhile, reform advocates—including the Anti-Dynasty Network composed of academics, public servants, and members of political families—have urged lawmakers to enact a robust definition of political dynasties extending up to the fourth degree of relation and covering overlapping constituencies at both local and national levels.
The group said the entrenchment of political families has enabled inequality and normalized corruption.
“We call for a citizen-driven national dialogue… toward articulating a unified citizen position on dynasties that will secure a democracy that works for all and not the few,” the group furthered.
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