November 14, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos should certify as urgent the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill if he is truly serious about fighting corruption, former Bayan Muna congressman and human rights lawyer Carlos Isagani Zarate said yesterday, calling it the definitive test of the administration’s proclaimed anti-corruption campaign.
Zarate specifically highlighted House Bill Nos. 209 and 4784, filed by the Makabayan bloc, which seek to finally implement the 1987 constitutional mandate prohibiting political dynasties.
He argued that the concentration and perpetuation of political power by the same families, like the Marcos and Duterte clans, remains the single greatest enabler of corruption and poor governance in the Philippines.
“The greatest enabler of corruption in our nation is the system of political dynasties, where a few families treat public office as a private heirloom,” Zarate said in a statement.
“If President Marcos Jr. is truly serious about fighting corruption, he must recognize that the root of the problem lies in the decades-long control of political power by a privileged few. Political dynasties breed impunity, erode checks and balances, and ensure that public service is treated as a birthright rather than a public trust,” he added.
Zarate pointed out that the Bayan Muna party-list and the broader Makabayan bloc have been consistently filing this measure since 2001, in the spirit of Article II, Section 26 of the 1987 Constitution, which mandates the State to “guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.”
Despite this constitutional command, Congress, often dominated by dynastic families, has repeatedly failed to enact the enabling law.
He said HB Nos. 209 and 4784 define and prohibit political dynasties by banning relatives within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity – such as parents, children, siblings and cousins – from simultaneously holding or running for national or local office, or from directly succeeding an incumbent relative.
“By certifying these bills as urgent, President Marcos Jr. can send a definitive signal that his administration is ready to dismantle the political structures that have hampered democratic development and fueled corruption for generations,” Zarate said.