Advocates see narrow opening against political dynasties. Will Congress pass the test?

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February 9, 2026 | 2:09pm

MANILA, Philippines — After decades of stalled debate, advocates say the Philippines public anger over corruption and renewed pressure from Malacañang is opening a narrow window for long-stalled institutional reforms to curb political dynasties.

The Anti-Dynasty Network (ADN), a coalition of civic leaders, academics, and politicians, argues that the goal is to set law-driven limits on how political and elite families occupy and pass on public office—an issue it says voter choice alone cannot resolve.

ADN co-convenor Kiko Aquino-Dee, who himself hails from a political family, said that the 1987 Constitution itself demands for a law to be made by political dynasties. Without such safeguards, he said, allow equal access to public service remains largely theoretical. 

Multiple studies would show patterns between poor economic conditions and slow development in areas ruled by political dynasties, Aquino-Dee said. 

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, who also has several relatives in government, expressed support for an anti-political dynasty bill. 

"What we are against here is the concentration of power in the hands of a few political elite," Sotto said during a Senate panel discussion on Monday, February 9. 

Sotto said political families should not be allowed to use government machinery and public funds to entrench themselves in power.

He cited a hypothetical scenario in which an honest but unknown candidate with strong qualifications would almost always lose to an inexperienced member of a political dynasty.

In some parts of the country, even running against a political dynasty could put a candidate's life at risk, Sotto said, stressing that everyone should get a chance.

The ideal scenario

While political dynasties have plagued the Philippines for decades, the group believes the fallout from the flood control corruption scandal has whipped up a perfect storm for reform. 

Lawyer Mikee Defensor, another ADN co-convenor, who hails from the Defensor clan in Quezon City, said the recent corruption scandal had sparked anger among citizens.

There is a momentum, she said. 

In an interview on ANC's Beyond the Exchange, Defensor said there has been a shift in the political climate, with Malacañang pressuring Congress to pass an anti-political dynasty law. She said Bojie Dy is shepherding a version of the bill in the House.

It may be possible to pass the measure before the end of the year, Defensor said, with both chambers set to take up their versions. She cautioned, however, that the substance of the bill would matter, as political families could find ways to work around the loopholes.

The ideal outcome would be to pass an ironclad law before the 2028 national elections, she said. This would be a version that bars politicians up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity from holding simultaneous or successive elective positions.

With most House members coming from political families, the degree of relation and affinity has been a contentious point. Many lawmakers have also been silent on proposals to ban successive terms, which Defensor said is a common way politicians skirt term limits.

Versions that measure up

While there were already multiple versions of an anti-political dynasty bill lined up in Congress, only a few manage to meet all of the ADN's criteria. 

In the Senate, only the bills of senators Risa Hontiveros and Robin Padilla tackled the fourth degree of relation. In the House, it was the bills of the Makabayan bloc and Akbayan partylist that addressed the issue. 

With a problem that was so deeply entrenched in the system, an institutional change is needed, she said. 

"We can't just rely on voters to outvote all these dynastic candidates because, as it is, voters don't really have a choice," Defensor said.