Bojie Dy files bill barring dynasties, contractors from party-lists

MANILA, Philippines – A bill proposing sweeping safeguards preventing political dynasties and state contractors from hijacking the party-list system was filed at the House of Representatives on Monday, the office of Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III said on Tuesday.

In a statement, Dy said House Bill No. 9906 seeks to ban “individuals closely connected to incumbent members of Congress, government contractors and certain former elective officials” from serving as nominees of party-lists.

The bill, filed by Dy alongside TGP Rep. Bong Teves, Jr., Tingog Rep. Jude Acidre, TUCP Rep. Democrito Mendoza, Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, FPJ Panday Bayanihan Rep. Brian Poe and 4Ps Reps. Marcelino Libanan and JC Abalos, is a priority of the Marcos administration.

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READ: Dy says consultations on anti-dynasty bill can be a template

“The party-list system was created to broaden representation, not to expand the power of a few families,” Dy said in Filipino.

“If we truly stand for a more open, fair and inclusive democracy, we must ensure the party-list system remains faithful to its original purpose to give sectors and communities lacking representation a voice and a chance to participate in lawmaking,” he added.

The party-list setup, which reserves 20% of House seats for such groups, was created under the 1987 Constitution to give underrepresented sectors a say in legislation, but “structural weaknesses” in its framework had allowed dynasties and those with “traditional political interests” to seize the system, according to the bill’s explanatory note.

“These developments risk undermining the original purpose of the system as a platform for genuine sectoral and civic representation,” it said.

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The bill disqualifies persons with second degree ties by affinity or consanguinity to a sitting senator or congressman from becoming a nominee and serving as a party-list representative, alongside those awarded “directly or indirectly” with any government contract in the past five years before an election.

Incumbent officials at the “national, provincial, city or municipal level” at the time of nomination are barred from running as party‑list representatives, and they would be required to observe a “one-election-cycle-cooling-off period” under the measure before becoming eligible.

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Party-list groups must keep financial records, file annual reports and disclose “significant contributions” to the Commission on Elections, which is empowered to audit and impose sanctions ranging from suspension to cancellation of registration, according to the proposal.

The bill also seeks to classify party‑list groups into sectoral, advocacy and regional representation before registration, requiring them to show “genuine affiliation” with the sectors they claim to represent.

Party‑list groups in the Philippines form a colorful mix in the country’s turbulent political scene, spanning from regional blocs with vote bases rooted in provinces far from the capital, supposed advocates for marginalized sectors to political formations with ideological or partisan leanings.

Dy said the bill aims to reinforce the anti-political dynasty bill the lower chamber passed in early June, which critics have flagged for its failure to cover party-list groups under the ban.

READ: Bill vs dynasties: Can Senate sharpen dull House version?

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Adiong, who heads the House Suffrage and Electoral Reforms Committee, had said that party-list groups were intentionally excluded from the bill curbing dynastic clans to avoid violating the Constitution, which mandates that a law “shall embrace only one subject.”

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