Campaign finance reform key to dismantling political dynasties — analyst 

Marvin Laurente 

As groups press the Senate to revise the House-approved anti-dynasty bill, a political analyst said that campaign finance reform is enough to weaken political clans instead of passing the controversial law.

Dr. Fernando Casal Bértoa, associate professor of comparative politics at the University of Nottingham, said that efforts to curb political dynasties would have limited impact unless lawmakers first address the influence of money in politics.

Speaking on ANC’s Market Edge, Bértoa proposed that Congress should prohibit corporate political donations and strengthen political parties through a more transparent financing system.

“You don’t have to pass a law to go against the dynasties. You just create an institution that, with time, is going to change the behavior,” Bértoa stated.

The analyst explained that corporations participate in politics to protect their business interests rather than the broader public interest.

“Democracy is based on the principle of one person, one vote. When you allow corporate donations, you are allowing the owner of the corporation to donate twice: as an individual and through a corporation,” he said. 

Groups seek stronger anti-dynasty measures

At the White Ribbon March on Sunday, June 28, a coalition of business, governance, religious, and civil society organizations urged the Senate to reject or substantially amend the House-approved anti-political dynasty bill.

The coalition, led by the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), argued that House Bill No. 8389 contains loopholes that would allow political families to retain power through succession, position switching, and holding elective offices in different jurisdictions.

“They must take us for fools for them to pass that kind of proposed legislation… Forty years after the 1987 Constitution, you come up with a bill which is actually a pro-dynasty bill, very contrary to the intent of the constitutional framers,” MAP Ethics Committee Chair Alex Cabrera said.

Members of the Dapat Isa Lang (D1L) Movement also gathered signatures in support of a people’s initiative seeking the passage of what they described as a “genuine” anti-political dynasty law.

Under the group’s proposal, political families within the fourth degree of consanguinity and affinity would be limited to holding only one national elective position and one local elective post. 

The proposal also seeks to prohibit political succession, substitution, and position switching, while requiring a one-term “cooling-off” period before another member of the same family can seek the same office.

Gatchalian sees ‘bloody’ bicam

Senate President Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian said major differences between the House and Senate versions of the proposed anti-political dynasty law could lead to “bloody” bicameral deliberations.

“I know it will be bloody when it comes to the bicam because the Senate version is very different from the House version,” Gatchalian explained in a DZBB radio interview.

Despite the expected disagreements, the Senate President said the measure remains among the priority bills endorsed by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) upon the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“That’s one of the priority measures. I know it’s also being pushed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros, so we will make that a priority,” he added.

According to Gatchalian, the Senate version differs from the House proposal by prohibiting both simultaneous and successive holding of elective offices by close relatives. 

Unlike the House-approved bill, it also includes restrictions on party list representation, prohibiting simultaneous terms within or across party list groups, as well as overlapping service in party list and national or local elective positions.

The House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 8389 or the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act on third and final reading on June 3 with 267 lawmakers voting in favor, 20 against, and seven abstaining.