At Cebu consultation, groups demand action ‘without delay’ on anti-dynasty bill

CEBU, Philippines – A public consultation on proposed anti-political dynasty measures held on Thursday, February 19, at the University of the Philippines Cebu in Cebu City turned into a direct call for Congress to enact a strict, enabling law without further delay.

The House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms convened with various civil society groups and concerned citizens in Cebu to gather insights on pending bills seeking to operationalize the Constitution’s prohibition on political dynasties — a provision that has remained unenforced for nearly four decades due to the absence of an enabling law.

Participants voiced support for House Bill No. 209 and 4784, which define political dynasties as families or clans that “concentrate, consolidate, or perpetuate their political power by holding public office simultaneously or successively.”

The bills bar relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and affinity from running for office at the same time or in succession.

Students, youth leaders, and rights groups attended the consultation, but for many Cebuanos, the focus had shifted from being heard to whether lawmakers would take real action. 

TJ Rapisora, convener of Kabataan Kontra Korapsyon, cautioned that consultations should not be considered the endpoint of public participation.

“The struggle does not end with the passage of a law. First, it is to eliminate political dynasties. Second, it is to confront the deeper roots of corruption and the people’s suffering caused by bureaucratic capitalism,” Rapisora told Rappler in Cebuano.

Rapisora added that beyond the consultation, lawmakers must hear from communities most affected by corruption to guide broader reforms.

“Gawas sa consultation, kinahanglan nato nga mas mudung pa sa people on the ground nga grabe ang experience sa korapsyon, gani man sa mga political dynasties. Kay dira nato mahibaw-an kon unsa kagrabe ang extent sa epekto sa korapsyon ug political dynasties sa ilaha ug kung asa pa nato mas mabitbit ang mas lapad pa nga panawagan,” Rapisora said.

(Beyond the consultation, we need to engage more with the people on the ground who have experienced the worst effects of corruption, especially from political dynasties. That is where we can understand the full extent of how corruption and dynastic rule impact them, and identify where we can push for broader reforms.)

Preventing exploitation

Howell Villacrusis, secretary-general of Alyansa sa mga Mamumuo sa Sugbo Kilusang Mayo Uno, used the consultation to push for concrete standards in the final anti-political dynasty bill. 

He said the law should cover both local and national positions, strictly define prohibited familial relationships from the second to the fourth degree of consanguinity, and clearly specify disqualifications and penalties.

Equally crucial, Villacrusis said, is insulating the law from loopholes that could be exploited by incumbent political dynasties, many of whom are already entrenched in Congress and other local positions. 

Without these safeguards, he warned, the bill risks becoming ineffective, merely a formal exercise while powerful families continue to use public office for personal gain.

Villacrusis also pointed to the ongoing elite impunity as proof of the bill’s urgency. He cited Vice President Sara Duterte’s 2028 presidential bid amid multiple impeachment complaints, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s efforts to clear his family’s corruption cases as examples of how dynastic power protects its own.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Central Visayas issued a statement supporting the immediate passage of the bill. The group criticized dynastic families for monopolizing power, turning elections into inheritance, and using public office for patronage and corruption.

“The anti-political dynasty bill must be passed without loopholes and watered-down provisions. It must decisively prohibit the concentration of power within a few families and expand democratic space for genuine people’s representation,” Bayan said in a statement on Thursday. 

Anti-dynasty mobilization

Joined by Kabataan Representative Renee Louise Co, youth and activist groups concluded the consultation with an afternoon mobilization outside the campus, marching to demand the immediate passage of the anti-political dynasty bill. 

Protesters condemned decades of inaction that allowed political families to consolidate power and criticized the concentration of power under Marcos and Duterte.

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As co-author of House Bill No. 209, Co reiterated that dismantling this system of entrenched corruption is essential to ensure public resources serve communities rather than a few elite families. 

“Alam natin na through political dynasties, napapairal at patuloy na lumalakas ang tinatawag nating burukrata kapitalismo…. Nakikita natin ang ugat ng kahirapan sa Pilipinas dahil ang gobyerno, ginagawang behikulo bilang negosyo,” the lawmaker said.

(We know that through political dynasties, what we call bureaucrat capitalism exists and continues to grow stronger…. We see that the cause of poverty in the Philippines is due to the government being used as a vehicle for business.) – Rappler.com

Marjuice Destinado is a senior political science student at Cebu Normal University and an alumna of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2025.