With the proposed anti-political dynasty law gaining traction as a priority of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said on DWAN 1206 AM’s Session Unplugged that lawmakers must tread carefully, warning that a poorly written measure could create confusion, impose unfair restrictions, and open loopholes that would weaken its intended goal.
Sotto said the bill is unlikely to be rejected in Congress, since it was filed by both the House Speaker and the Majority Leader.
“Gusto ng presidente. At saka ang nag-file, yung majority leader at saka yung speaker… I doubt kung makokontra,” he said, adding that possible debates could take time due to the sensitive nature of the issue.
According to Sotto, the Senate is currently considering 3 to 4 versions of the anti-political dynasty proposal, including those authored by Senators Panfilo Lacson and Bam Aquino. He said the differing versions reflect over how broadly the ban should apply and what degree of family relation should be covered.
“Una sa lahat, kailangan maganda ang definition. Ano ba definition ng political dynasty?,” Sotto said.
He cited familiar scenarios that are widely accepted as political dynasties, such as close relatives simultaneously holding positions within the same local government unit.
However, he questioned whether the same label should apply to family members holding positions in entirely different provinces or cities.
“For example, ‘yung mayor at saka ‘yung vice mayor magkamag-anak or mag-asawa o mag-ama, mag-ina, ganiyan. Political dynasty, maliwanag ‘yun. ‘Di ba? Kunwari, ‘yung konsehal at saka ‘yung mayor ay magkapatid. O ‘yung governor at saka ‘yung mayor, magkapatid. Or magkamag-anak. ‘Yan, talagang political dynasty nga. Maliwanag sa atin ‘yun. Eh, ang tanong, ‘yung governor ng, let’s say, Davao del Norte, ‘yung kaniyang kapatid ay mayor sa Cebu. Political dynasty ba ‘yun?”
“So ibig sabihin, isa lang sa bawat isang pamilya ang pwedeng tumakbo?” he added, pointing out that Sen. Lacson is considering the second degree of consanguinity, while Sen. Aquino’s proposal goes as far as the fourth degree, which he described as heavy.
To explain the difficulty of drawing clear rules, Sotto cited a hypothetical case involving himself.
“Ako, senador ako. Yung anak ko, tatakbong mayor ng Quezon City. Dynasty ba ‘yun? ” he said, noting that these are the kinds of questions lawmakers must answer.
Sotto said he raised similar concerns directly with President Marcos, recalling that they even laughed while discussing the possible areas of the proposed law. He gave an example: “Ikaw, mayor, tapos na ang term mo, hindi pwede asawa mo, hindi pwede mga anak mo, hindi pwede tatay o nanay mo, ‘di ba? Dahil sa political dynasty. Paano yung kabit mo? Hindi rin bloodline yun.”
Despite these concerns, Sotto said he supports the passage of an anti-political dynasty law. He said he agrees with the objective of reducing its influence over voters but emphasized that the law must be clearly defined, fair, and enforceable to truly work. – IP
