By Samantha Yu
MANILA — Several prominent business and civic organizations have appealed to top government officials to reject the House of Representatives’ version of the anti-political dynasty bill, describing it as insufficient and misleading.
The coalition, which includes major private sector and election watchdog groups, said House Bill 8389 does not truly prohibit political dynasties but instead legitimizes them under a regulated framework.
In their manifesto, the groups argued that the bill allows continued dominance of political families by permitting relatives within certain degrees of kinship to still occupy elective posts within the same locality under specific conditions.
They warned that the measure could enable long-term family control of local and national positions through succession practices and coordinated position exchanges after term limits are reached.
The signatories also criticized the lack of a strict ban on extended relatives holding office simultaneously, saying it leaves room for widespread clan-based governance across all levels of government.
As an alternative, they endorsed the “Dapat Isa Lang” proposal, which seeks to restrict political families to a single national and local position and impose tighter rules against succession and role rotation among relatives.
Reports from investigative groups show that political dynasties remain dominant in many parts of the country, with a significant share of governors and district lawmakers belonging to established families.
The Senate is currently reviewing multiple versions of the bill, some of which reportedly propose stronger restrictions than the House-approved measure.
Supporters of stricter regulation argue that meaningful reform is necessary to fulfill the Constitution’s intent of preventing political dynasties and promoting equal access to public office.
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