House passes anti-dynasty bill on final reading

THE House of Representatives on Wednesday approved a measure banning second-degree relatives from simultaneously running or holding public office on third and final reading.

With 267 votes in favor, 20 against, and seven abstentions, the chamber passed House Bill No. 8389, or the Anti-Political Dynasty Act, which seeks to prevent spouses and relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity from pursuing or holding elective positions in the same political jurisdiction.

The bill is expected to expand political participation and address longstanding calls to implement the constitutional provision against political dynasties.

“This measure recognizes a reality in Philippine politics while also responding to a constitutional mandate that has remained pending for decades. The objective is to promote broader political participation and strengthen public trust in our democratic institutions,” co-author Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander A. Marcos III said in a statement.

The House also emphasized that the bill is not just about prohibition, but about opening up broader leadership opportunities for more Filipinos.

The measures cover all elective positions at the national and local levels, including President, Vice-President, Senate, House of Representatives, and local governments, cities, and municipalities.

Candidates are also required to submit a sworn declaration to the Commission on Elections to prove that they are not subject to the prohibited political dynasty arrangement, and there are corresponding penalties for falsification and circumvention.

Meanwhile, Party-list Rep. Renee Louise M. Co, who voted against the measure, questioned the passage of the bill, which she described as “fake.”

Ms. Co insisted that the bill fails to address the deeper root of the problem in the country’s governance system, particularly the alleged existence of “bureaucratic capitalism” or the use of government as a business for personal gain.

“In the end, political dynasties have deeper roots — bureaucrat capitalism, or the use of government as a business to extract personal profit. That is why some clans have chosen to turn our government into a family enterprise. Bureaucrat capitalism is the disease, while political dynasties are just one of its many symptoms,” Ms. Co said in Filipino.

The bill is among the priority measures identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) for the 20th Congress.

This followed the passage of another LEDAC measure, House Bill No. 9397, or the proposed Right to Information Act of 2026, which secured final reading approval on Tuesday.

The bill seeks to transform the constitutional right to information into an enforceable statutory right.

It also provides for the creation of the Right to Information Council, an Online RTI Portal for electronic request and tracking, and the designation of RTI officers in government agencies to ensure prompt action on information requests.

It likewise mandates proactive disclosure of budgets, audit reports, and other public interest documents, while adopting the principle that disclosure is the rule and secrecy the exception, subject to public scrutiny.

In a separate statement on Tuesday, Rep. Marcos said that the measure recognizes the demands of modern governance.

“This measure strengthens transparency while ensuring that legitimate concerns involving privacy, national security and sensitive information remain protected under clearly defined safeguards,” Mr. Marcos said. — Pexcel John Bacon