MANILA – Former Chief Justice and Consultative Committee (ConCom) Chairman Reynato Puno said Wednesday the anti-dynasty provisions drafted in the new Constitution are a prerequisite to federalism.
In a statement, Puno said the “self-executing anti-dynasty provisions were a prerequisite to federalism” as constituent units cannot exercise their rights to self-rule and shared rule “if their governments have been captured by political dynasties.”
“The governments of the constituent units must be run on the basis of merits and not by reason of genetics,” he added.
A total of 18 of 20 ConCom members voted in favor of banning political dynasties after four days of deliberation – the first time it was defined in ink 30 years after the 1987 Constitution.
The committee said, according to proposed provisions, a political dynasty exists when a family –whose members are related up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity – maintains political control by succession or by simultaneously running for or holding elective positions. It covers relations which are legitimate, illegitimate, and half or full blood.
The provisions include barring second-degree relatives, such as spouse, children, children-in-law, brother and sisters, brother-in-law, sister-in-law, parents, parents-in-law, grandparents, and grandparents-in-law from succeeding each other in office and limiting the number of positions they could hold to two – national and one regional or local.
Two members of a dynasty are also banned from holding two regional or local positions at the same time.
Another provision empowers the future Congress to provide additional prohibitions.
ConCom member Julio Teehankee, who is also a professor at the De La Salle University, said political dynasties have turned offices into “assets that can be passed on to the next of kin”, adding elections have become a “clash of clans.”
Puno emphasized that ConCom members should not be blinded by fear from “omnipotents” in Philippine politics in voting against political dynasties, despite potentially “incurring their ire” and “compromising their fortune”.
The ConCom, which was tasked to review the 1987 Constitution, recently voted to support the creation of a federal-presidential system of government. (PR)
