Adiong defends dynasty ban bill as ‘genuine’ amid mounting criticisms

MANILA, Philippines — Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong thinks the House version of a bill banning political dynasties reflects a “genuine attempt” from the chamber to enshrine the constitutional mandate to outlaw dynasties.

His belief comes even as civil groups and election watchdogs described it as a toned-down legislative piece.

In an interview, he said that House Bill No. 8389 addresses the monopoly of power long held by a handful of families dominating local and national politics, calling it a serious push to curb their influence.

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“Just because some sectors in our society are not satisfied with it does not mean it is not a genuine reform,” Adiong, head of the House suffrage and electoral reforms committee, told the Inquirer.

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“Just because others oppose it… [doesn’t] make it fake,” he said. “It’s just a matter of interpretation and opinion.”

The House approved HB 8389 on June 3 after months of hearings and a protracted debate, marking one of the most contentious measures passed by the chamber in the 20th Congress so far.

It bars spouses and second degree relatives from occupying elected posts simultaneously.

READ: House approves anti-dynasty bill on third and final reading

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Critics said the bill fails to stop the dynastic grip of political families and instead, it even legitimizes their presence.

The National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) described the bill as a “watered-down measure” that provides dynasties a “legal roadmap for survival.”

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Public office in the Philippines has often been treated like an heirloom, being passed down from one family generation to another.

The 1987 Constitution bans political dynasties but left the enforcement to lawmakers, who must craft the legislation to remove the influence of entrenched families that have dominated politics for decades.

“The barometer for me to call it a genuine reform is whether this proposal would directly affect the sector that we intend to address, which is the monopoly of power,” Adiong, who heads the House suffrage and electoral reforms committee, said.

“On that basis alone, I can say with absolute certainty and with confidence that this is a genuine anti-political dynasty measure that Congress has proposed,” he added.

In Wednesday’s statement, election watchdog National Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) also said the House bill “imposes no meaningful restrictions on the party‑list system.”

It echoed the views of critics who warned it had become vulnerable to the capture of political dynasties, straying from its original intent of giving marginalized sectors representation in lawmaking.

The House suffrage and electoral reforms committee did not include partylists in the bill’s coverage so as not to violate the Constitution, which mandates that a measure “shall embrace only one subject,” according to Adiong.

“The party‑list system is so complex that it deserves a separate discussion altogether,” he said.

Adiong noted that the panel is preparing a bill that will prohibit a second degree relative of an incumbent district representative from becoming a party-list nominee. /apl

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