When a few hold power: Solon says political dynasties 'abominable, scandalous'

ABS-CBN News

Posted at Jun 15 2015 10:19 AM | Updated as of Jun 15 2015 09:38 PM

MANILA - A lawmaker on Monday described as "abominable" and "scandalous" political families and dynasties that have as many as seven members holding positions of power.

Capiz 2nd District Rep. Fredenil Castro, chairman of the House of Representatives committee on suffrage, said Article 2, Section 26 of the Constitution already prohibits political dynasties "as may be defined by law."

So far, Congress has yet to pass an anti-political dynasty law nearly three decades after the 1987 Constitution required it.

Castro said House Bill 3587 or the proposed anti-political dynasty bill is not meant to be prohibitive but regulatory to allow everyone a chance to run for public office.

"What is incorrigible in politics is that everybody running and holding public office en masse - five, six, seven members of the same political clan holding public office is abominable," he told ANC's Headstart.

"It is abominable. That cannot be permitted. It is scandalous," he added.

Under the proposed anti-political dynasty bill, political families and clans cannot hold electoral positions all at the same time.

The current version of the bill allows only two members of the same political clan to run for any public office.

Castro said the purpose of the bill is to put members of a political clan "in a holding area."

"Magpahinog ka muna until such a time that everybody could be given equal access," he said.

He also said he is saddened that the House of Representatives failed to vote on the measure before it went on break.

He earlier said political dynasties inside the House lobbied against the bill.