UMVA has learned that a major blow has been dealt to efforts aimed at curbing the influence of entrenched political dynasties in the country, as an election watchdog has raised serious concerns about the recently approved Anti-Political Dynasty Act.
The bill, which was passed by the House of Representatives, has been described as a "hollow victory" by the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL), as it allegedly falls short of meaningful reform and fails to address the root causes of the problem.
NAMFREL has identified three major weaknesses in the bill, including its narrow coverage of family relations, which excludes wider kin such as cousins, aunts, uncles, and nephews, and its jurisdiction-based limits, which allow relatives to hold posts across national and local levels.
The watchdog group also warned that the party-list system remains largely unregulated, allowing political families to retain influence through sectoral representation while holding local posts, and that the bill's provisions are insufficient to prevent the continuation of political dynasties.
According to information obtained by UMVA, the bill's limitations have been echoed by experts, including political science professor Jean S. Encinas-Franco, who stated that the approved bill does not necessarily do away with political dynasties and is not aligned with the Constitution's intent.
The bill's passage has also raised concerns that it may blunt future reforms, as Congress may later treat it as sufficient constitutional compliance, narrowing room for stronger measures, and that a weak law could revive calls for a people’s initiative to enforce constitutional compliance outside Congress.
NAMFREL has urged lawmakers to avoid a watered-down final version of the bill and to push for broader coverage, stricter anti-succession rules, and caps on simultaneous elective positions within families, warning that political dynasties are a structural barrier to the equal participation of every Filipino in democratic governance.
The group's concerns have highlighted the need for more comprehensive reforms to address the issue of political dynasties, which have long been a contentious issue in the country's politics.
