Ched Rick Gatchalian

A woman holds a poster against Political Dynasties at the anti-Charter Change Rallies at the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City. February 22, 2018. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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Isabela lawmaker wants 'political dynasty' be defined further; restrictions should only apply to appointees

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176293302966920180222-federalism-protest-edsa-6-JC.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>A woman holds a poster against Political Dynasties at the anti-Charter Change Rallies at the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City. February 22, 2018. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News </div>MANILA — Isabela 1st District Rep. Antonio “Tonypet” Albano echoed House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III’s statement on the need to define the term “political dynasty”, adding he believes a ban should be on appointive positions, not elective ones.Congress, which is dominated by dynasts, has been debating the definition of political dynasties since the 1987 Constitution banned them and tasked the legislature to pass an enabling law for it.“We really have to define what political dynasty means without infringing on the individual rights of the person. Because if you are given the right to vote, you also have to be given the right to run in office,” Albano told reporters on Wednesday.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/8/political-dynasties-are-root-of-all-corruption-lawmaker-says-1415">Lawmaker says political dynasties are &#x27;root of all corruption,&#x27; pushes for &#x27;bold reforms&#x27; in government</a></div>He said he agreed officials in the executive branch should not appoint relatives to subordinate positions but ‘in terms of the democratic process, I do not see any country that has a bill that curtails the freedom from a person in running whether you&#x27;re the brother or not.”During plenary session on Tuesday, Dy called for a proposed law to clearly define political dynasties.Albano acknowledged his family has been in government for 130 yearsAlbano also admitted to being from a political dynasty, himself, but also questioned who should determine which family member may go into public service.“So how do you define who among us should run? Because my brother is now governor of Isabela. And who will determine who among us should run? Is it the people? It becomes a big problem,” he said.Members of political dynasties have maintained that voters always have a choice to elect someone else, but entrenched families have the advantage of incumbency and resources and political machinery.This has made it difficult for new names, epscially those without the backing of political parties, to compete.“The constitution allows for political dynasty. I&#x27;ll give you an example. My father was my classmate in the 18th Congress. He was a LPGMA party-list nominee in the 18th Congress. Why? Because this constitution allows for it,” Albano said as he called for a review of the charter. MAKABAYAN CHALLENGES HOUSE LEADERSHIP ON POL. DYNASTY BILLS In a statement, Makabayan bloc lawmakers challenged House leadership to “prove their sincerity” by fast-tracking House Bills 209 and 4784, which they called &quot;true anti-political dynasty [measures] with clear and uncompromising provisions.&quot;<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/2/house-bill-seeking-to-ban-political-dynasties-filed-anew-in-the-20th-congress-1432">House Bill seeking to ban political dynasties filed anew in the 20th Congress</a></div>Under the bills, individuals are not allowed to run for elective national or local office along with another relative within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity.“While we note Speaker Faustino &#x27;Bojie&#x27; Dy III promise to file an anti-political dynasty bill, we remain deeply skeptical. History has shown us that political dynasties themselves have repeatedly blocked genuine reform,” the progressive lawmakers said in a joint statement.For the Makabayan bloc, the failure to enact an enabling law since the 1987 Constitution was ratified “allowed political dynasties to concentrate power within a few families and oligarchs, undermined the democratic process, and ultimately exacerbated poverty and inequality.”<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/7/-elexplain-political-dynasty-part-3-2238">#Elexplain: Bakit hindi nakabubuti para sa bayan ang political dynasties?</a></div>“The anti-dynasty law is a long-overdue reform that can help pave the way for new, people-oriented leaders and parties genuinely representing the interests of ordinary Filipinos,” Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago said.

“We really have to define what political dynasty means without infringing on the individual rights of the person. Because if you are given the right to vote, you also have to be given the right to run in office,” Isabela 1st District Rep. Antonio “Tonypet” Albano said.

“We really have to define what political dynasty means without infringing on the individual rights of the person. Because if you are given the right to vote, you also have to be given the right to run in office,” Isabela 1st District Rep. Antonio “Tonypet” Albano said.

House preps for another round of political dynasty debates

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House preps for another round of political dynasty debates

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 12, 2025 04:26 PM PHT

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Updated November 12, 2025 04:59 PM PHT

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Political dynasty

House of Representatives

House Speaker

Isabela

Makabayan

Gabriela

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