'When authority circulates within the same family network, oversight weakens,' Senator Hontiveros says

Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday sponsored a proposed anti-political dynasty measure in the Senate, urging her colleagues to finally fulfill what she described as a long-neglected constitutional mandate to ensure equal access to public service and curb the concentration of political power within families.

During the February 24 plenary session, Hontiveros presented Committee Report No. 33, which consolidates several bills seeking to define and prohibit political dynasties, as provided under the 1987 Constitution.

The measure substitutes Senate Bills filed by Senators Robin Padilla, Panfilo Lacson, Erwin Tulfo, Francis Pangilinan, JV Ejercito, Bam Aquino, Loren Legarda, and Hontiveros herself.

“For nearly forty years, that constitutional command has remained unfulfilled,” Hontiveros said, referring to the provision mandating the State to prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law. “In the 20th Congress, we are given the opportunity to decide whether we will finally give life to that promise.”

She said the consolidated bill was shaped by extensive committee hearings, regional consultations, and inputs from experts, civil society groups, and ordinary citizens.

Hontiveros noted that the discussions reflected broad public support, particularly from students, workers, and local government officials, while also acknowledging concerns raised by families with long-standing political involvement.

Hontiveros argued that political dynasties are not only a governance concern but also an economic one, citing studies by the Ateneo de Manila University, the University of the Philippines, and other think tanks linking entrenched political families to higher poverty rates, weaker human development outcomes, and slower local economic growth.

“In areas where power is monopolized by a few families, poverty is often higher, mobility is weaker, and opportunities are more limited,” she said. “Competition disciplines power. When access to politics is restricted, the flow of ideas, reforms, and opportunities also becomes restricted.”

She added that dynastic politics can also undermine accountability and anti-corruption efforts, particularly when multiple family members simultaneously hold office within the same locality or province.

and investigations become politically fraught,” she said, stressing that democratic governance relies not only on personal integrity but also on strong institutional safeguards.

Addressing concerns that the bill could unfairly target families with long traditions of public service, Hontiveros clarified that the measure is not meant to attack political families or diminish legitimate public service. Instead, she said, it aims to prevent the simultaneous concentration of power within the same family in the same sphere of governance.

“This is about institutional legacy,” she said. “If we truly believe in equal access to public service, then we must create rules that widen access.”

Under the proposed measure, the prohibition would apply to relatives within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity who seek or hold public office simultaneously within the same territorial jurisdiction. Hontiveros said the provision was crafted in consultation with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which emphasized the need for enforceability and clarity.

“Some proposals were expansive in theory but impossible to implement,” she said. “This bill is a convergence of principle and practicality.”

She acknowledged that the bill is not perfect but stressed that it represents a significant step toward meaningful reform. “What is possible today becomes the foundation of deeper reforms tomorrow,” she said.

Hontiveros said the measure seeks to open political space for ordinary Filipinos who aspire to public office but lack the resources, machinery, or family name traditionally associated with electoral success.

“This bill is on the side of young people with dreams but without famous surnames,” she said. “It is on the side of teachers, entrepreneurs, health workers, farmers — those with competence but without political machinery.”

She urged her colleagues to act decisively, saying that democracy thrives when power is accountable rather than inherited.

“With humility, with respect for this institution, and with fidelity to the Constitution, I respectfully sponsor this measure and urge its approval,” she said.

The consolidated anti-political dynasty bill is expected to undergo period of interpellation and amendments in the coming sessions before it is put to a vote in the Senate.

-Paraluman News