Last week, the political dynasty-dominated House of Representatives passed on Third Reading what critics described as a watered-down version of a bill banning political dynasties.
House Bill 8389 or the “Anti-Political Dynasty Act” covers in specific instances a person with relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity whether by blood or marriage, whether legitimate or illegitimate, full or half-blood: the person’s spouse, parents and grandparents, children and grandchildren, and siblings.
The prohibition is applied horizontally to elective positions at three different government levels—national, provincial and local.
It does not allow a president to have a relative up to the second degree holding another national position, such as vice president or senator.
Similarly, no relatives within the same degree can serve simultaneously in the same province as governor, vice governor, and board member, or in the same city or municipality as mayor, vice mayor, and councilor.
The bill has two specific rules for different positions within the same political unit and for positions with multiple seats such as the Senate, Sangguniang Panlalawigan, or city or municipal councils.
If second-degree relatives are elected to different positions in the same local government unit, such as mayor and vice mayor, only the candidate elected to the higher office will assume the post.
For multi-seat positions, only the candidate with the highest number of votes among relatives elected to the Senate, SP, and city/municipal councilors can take office.
Opponents of HB 8389 also took issue with a provision that allows relatives of all civil degrees to run for any congressional seat, as long as they run in different districts, as what is presently the case in many provinces or cities with more than one district.
The same House Bill also does not apply the political dynasty ban vertically, meaning a president may have a father for governor, a brother for mayor, another sibling or cousin for congressman, and another sibling as mayor in another town or city.
Assuming this bill is approved without amendments at the bicameral conference committee, only one of the Tulfos, Cayetanos, Villars and Estrada-Ejercito would remain by 2028.
Peter Cua would be able to run for governor but brother-in-law Leo Mendoza would not assume office even if he wins as vice governor.
If he survives the complaint filed at the Ombudsman, Congressman Eulogio Rodriguez would still run for his third and last term even if his daughter emerges victorious as Bato mayor.
On the other hand, graduating TGP Partylist Rep. Jose “Bong” Teves Jr. can run for governor while his wife, or another son, tries to keep the Baras mayoral seat.
What HB 8389 prohibits are political dynasties at different levels of governance, unlike the Senate version which its sponsors claim prohibits a father, mother, brother, sister, spouse or child from running for public office if one member of the family will already run for a particular elective office.
The Senate’s version of the anti-political dynasty bill also prohibits simultaneous and successive holding of positions and bars those short-listed for partylist positions if a relative is already holding a national or local position.
Likewise, it covers candidates who are not yet married but are already living together or considered as couples.
While it would be preferable for the electorate to wish that the Senate version would be enacted, the law finally enacted would likely be a reconciled version reflecting the desire of both houses.
Regardless of what comes out as the country’s first anti-political dynasty measure, it would be a step forward to a future where more people would be able to run, and win, elective positions.
In the 2025 elections, less than half of the 39 women who ran were declared victors and none of them won at the provincial level.
Only five of 15 retirees who campaigned achieved their objectives while only eight bets with business backgrounds won.
In contrast, more than 60 percent of party members had their hands raised the day after the polls that featured 13 sets of family members going for various posts.
Whichever version of the anti-political dynasty bill is enacted, there could be more candidates like Aida Dianela, Virginia Sanchez, Adrian Torcelino and Gil Alintana throwing their hats into the political ring at a higher level.
As they say, the more the merrier but this phrase from a medieval English poetry could be matched by another quotation with an opposite meaning: two’s company but three’s a crowd.
Only in 2028 can be truly tested the increasingly changing nature of local elections in Catanduanes, from a previously money-driven campaign to one anchored more on social media presence and appeal among the youth that now comprise 60 percent of the voters.