Dynasties in power: The unbroken cycle of political families in PH

Some political families in Cebu

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Political families, commonly understood as political dynasties, in the Philippines are not uncommon in Philippine politics.

According to a 2013 journal of Ateneo de Manila University by Ronald Mendoza, Edsel Beja, Victor Venida, and David Yap, political dynasty is defined as the situation wherein members of the same family are occupying elected positions either in sequence for the same position, or simultaneously across different positions.

Dynasties in power: the unbroken cycle of political families in PH

According to Renato Valencia in his column published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, “political dynasties have dominated the country’s political milieu in most of its regions since the 1960s.”

In Cebu, some notable political families bear the surnames Garcia, Osmeña, Rama, Ouano, Durano, Frasco, Magpale, Bacaltos, Gullas, Lagon, and Chan among others.

In this regard, former Cebu 5th District representative and now mayoral aspirant Ramon “Red” Durano VI from the Durano clan in Danao City, said that political dynasties “are there because of the trust the people have” in the political families.

“Ang mga tawo, nakaila raman gud anang mga pamilyaha and with that nga taas na kaayo ang panahon sa ilang panerbisyo, naa nay pagsalig,” he said in a press conference last October 11.

He added that they could not blame the people because the winning politicians underwent the “electoral process.”

He said that the people were not demanded to vote for a specific candidate because it is the latter who would choose whom to vote for.

“Ang tawo man gyud at the end of the day ang mo-pili. Di mani sad mga appointed nga positions. These are elected positions yet people choose those people because of the trust established for such a long time in public service,” Durano added.

Under the 1987 Constitution Article II Section 26, political dynasties are prohibited as it states that “the State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.”

Several attempts have been made to pass an anti-political dynasty law, however, none has been passed as of this time.

Among the senators who introduced an act to prohibit political dynasties were former senator Panfilo Lacson, and incumbent senators Grace Poe and Robin Padilla.

Lacson proposed the anti-political dynasty bill in the 18th Congress but failed to pass; the same with Poe who filed it during the 17th Congress.

Now, in the 19th Congress, Padilla filed Senate Bill (SB) 2730 last July 15, 2024.

Under Padilla’s bill, no spouse or person related within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity, whether legitimate or illegitimate, full or half blood, to an incumbent elective official seeking re-election, “shall be allowed to hold or run for any elective office in the same city and/or province, or any party list in the same election.”

As of writing, the bill is still pending committee review based on the recent update on the Senate’s website.

/clorenciana