Political Dynasty in the Philippines

1. POLITICAL DYNASTY REPORTED BY: SIOBE CHUA

2. POLITICAL DYNASTY Is understood as a lineage of hereditary succession to an essentially same position. Family members follow one another to the position.

3. A ruler in a dynasty is sometimes referred to as a dynast, but this term is also used to describe any member of a reigning family who retains succession rights to a throne.

4. The term "dynast" is sometimes used to refer to agnatic descendants of a realm's monarchs, and sometimes to those who hold succession rights through cognatic royal descent. The term can therefore describe overlapping but distinct sets of people.

5. Dynastic Marriage is one that complies with monarchical house law restrictions, so that the descendants are eligible to inherit the throne and/or other royal privileges.

6. WHAT DOES THE PHILIPPINES SAY ABOUT POLITICAL DYNASTY?

7. The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines: Article 2 - Declaration of Principles and State Policies, Section 26 states that: “The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.”

8. This provision clearly prohibits the existence of political dynasties in the country to preclude equal access to public service and the right of people to choose in the local election. However, it is not self-executory, meaning the provision needs an implementing law before it can be applied.

9. While there is still no enacted law for these provisions, the Constitution has provided that all elective officials, from congressmen to municipal councilors, be limited to three consecutive terms. The idea was to liamit the power of political clans.

10. Now, the Constitution passed the enactment of these provisions to the Congress but the reality is that the dominant members of the House belong to political dynasties, which cannot be expected to legislate their own demise as a political entity.

11. In the 14th Congress, there is a decrease in the number of legislators coming from political families but this does not mean, however, that they don't rule because they still do.

13. According to GMA news research, there is at least 76 percent of the legislative representatives which belongs to political families compared to the 83% of the last Congress, still, 76% of the elected House Representatives comes from political families which is still a large margin to the 24% of the non-political family members.