Jonathan Frederic De Santos

The Senate of the Philippines opens its first regular session of the 20th Congress on July 28, 2025. Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate Social Media Unit

Article (news)

Marilyn Cahatol

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17637029174581763702916771.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Senate of the Philippines opens its first regular session of the 20th Congress on July 28, 2025.<em> Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate Social Media Unit </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — A new bill prohibiting political dynasties in elective offices has been filed in the Senate, where four sets of siblings have seats.</p><p>Sen. Risa Hontiveros filed Senate Bill No. 1548, or the Kontra Dinastiya Act, on Thursday. It seeks to prohibit spouses and relatives within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity to a national official from running in the national elections, or of a local official from running in the local level within the same legislative district, province or city.</p><p>The fourth degree includes great great grandparents, great aunts and uncles, first cousins and grand nephews and nieces. </p><p>The bill would also prohibit officials&#x27; spouses or relatives from running to immediately succeed them in the post.</p><p>Relatives within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity of national and local officials are also barred from running in the party-list system.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>38 YEARS WITH NO ENABLING LAW FOR BAN ON DYNASTIES</strong></div><p>Hontiveros noted that the 1987 Philippine Constitution prohibits political dynasties, but the lack of an enabling law has allowed political clans to consoldiate power until more than half of incumbent public officials now come from dynasties.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/10/8/political-dynasties-are-root-of-all-corruption-lawmaker-says-1415"><strong>Lawmaker says political dynasties are &#x27;root of all corruption,&#x27; pushes for &#x27;bold reforms&#x27; in government</strong></a></div><p>Citing a study and a Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism report, Hontiveros said over 80 percent of members of the House of Representatives are dynasts, while majority of elected local officials also bear the same old names.</p><p>&quot;The passage of an Anti-Political Dynasty Law is necessary to restore fairness in our electoral system, strengthen public institutions, and ensure that leadership in government is determined not by birth or inherited political machinery, but by merit, integrity, and a genuine and meaningful mandate from the people,&quot; the bill&#x27;s explanatory note reads.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/7/-elexplain-political-dynasty-part-3-2238"><strong>#Elexplain: Bakit hindi nakabubuti para sa bayan ang political dynasties?</strong></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>FAMILY DRAMA</strong></div><p>The bill comes amid family drama within the Marcos clan sparked by Sen. Imee Marcos accusing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Ilocos Norte 2nd District Rep. Sandro Marcos of drug use.</p><p>Malacañang has <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/18/malaca-ang-denies-marcos-jr-s-drug-use-amid-sister-imee-s-allegations-0026">denied</a> the allegations and Rep. Marcos Sandro released a separate <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/18/sandro-marcos-calls-out-tita-imee-for-betraying-family-over-political-ambitions-0829">statement </a>saying his aunt&#x27;s “web of lies” was aimed at “destabilizing” the government to “advancing her own political ambitions.&quot;</p><p>A counterpart to Hontiveros&#x27; bill was <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/18/house-lawmakers-push-for-anti-political-dynasty-law-to-end-toxic-family-drama-1637">filed at the House of Representatives </a>last week by Akbayan Party-List.</p><p>House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, who is from a politically powerful family in Isabela, has promised to tackle anti-dynasty bills under his leadership “to show the House’s commitment to reform,&quot; after several members were implicated in the flood control corruption issue.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/11/12/house-preps-for-another-round-of-political-dynasty-debates-1626"><strong>House preps for another round of political dynasty debates</strong></a></div><div> </div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yf7Mqcmlf5I?si=1xGNQJwUFSPl-gIa" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Hontiveros noted that the 1987 Philippine Constitution prohibits political dynasties, but the lack of an enabling law has allowed it to proliferate until more than half of incumbent public officials now come from political dynasties.</p>

Hontiveros noted that the 1987 Philippine Constitution prohibits political dynasties, but the lack of an enabling law has allowed it to proliferate until more than half of incumbent public officials now come from political dynasties.

Anti-political dynasty bill filed again at Senate

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Anti-political dynasty bill filed again at Senate

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 21, 2025 01:30 PM PHT

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Anti-political dynasty bill

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