LAWMAKERS from the Makabayan bloc on Wednesday challenged the House leadership and the Senate to prove their commitment to pass a genuine anti-political dynasty law, warning against another round of ‘legislative theater’ that has repeatedly killed reform bills over the decades.
The group said it remains skeptical despite Speaker Faustino Dy III’s vow to support the Anti-Political Dynasty Act, stressing that ‘history has shown political dynasties themselves have blocked genuine reform.’
‘We challenge the House leaders to prove their sincerity by supporting and fast-tracking House Bills 209 and 4784-a true anti-political dynasty measure with clear and uncompromising provisions,’ the bloc said in a statement.
The Makabayan lawmakers explained that their measures would prohibit any person from holding or running for national or local office simultaneously with another relative within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity.
They also ban immediate succession of relatives to an incumbent’s post to prevent the continuous control of political clans over public offices.
The bloc also pointed to the Senate as a major obstacle, noting that ‘the irony is not lost’ that several senators belong to political families. ‘Those who benefit from the system will never voluntarily dismantle it,’ they added, citing the Marcos and Duterte clans as among ‘the worst iterations’ of political dynasties in the country.
A 2025 UNDP report by political scientist Temario Rivera found that 94 percent of Philippine provinces are dominated by political families, with an average of 2.3 dynasties per province.
‘The goal is clear-to return government to the people, not to the few,’ the group said. ‘Nearly four decades have passed since the Constitution prohibited dynasties, yet Congress has failed to pass an enabling law, allowing families to monopolize power and perpetuate inequality.’
In a related move, members of the Akbayan Reform Bloc filed House Bill 5905, another comprehensive Anti-Political Dynasty Bill, seeking to fully implement Article II, Section 26 of the 1987 Constitution.
The measure, authored by Akbayan Reps. Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, Dadah Kiram Ismula, and Dinagat Island Kaka Bag-ao, aims to prevent the concentration of political power within families and open leadership opportunities for ordinary citizens.
‘Ordinary Filipinos shouldn’t have to fight political dynasties just to serve their communities. They’re not the real dragons that need slaying,’ Bag-ao said. ‘For me, the real dragons are poverty, inequality, and underdevelopment. This bill ensures that capable leaders from communities can tackle those challenges without being blocked by inherited power.’
The filing comes amid the continued dominance of political dynasties in the Philippines. According to the Ateneo Policy Center, dynasties increased from 19 percent of all elected positions in 1988 to 29 percent in 2017, adding roughly 170 positions per election cycle. By 2019, families holding multiple simultaneous elected offices continued to grow, reflecting entrenched power across local and national levels.
Studies show the impact on governance and development is significant. A 2015 Philippine Institute for Development Studies report found dynasties concentrated in the poorest provinces, often reinforcing weak institutions, persistent poverty, and limited economic opportunities.
The bill defines political dynasties clearly and specifies prohibited familial relationships among candidates and elected officials. Its authors said the measure is designed to broaden leadership, open democratic spaces, and give reform-oriented leaders a fair chance to serve.
Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima of Mamamayang Liberal, who also filed HB 2131, or the ‘Anti-Political Dynasty Act,’ welcomed Dy’s statement of support for the measure.
However, de Lima urged the House leadership to move beyond promises and press the President to certify both bills as urgent.