Marilyn Cahatol

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his 4th annual State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives in Quezon City  on July 28, 2025, flanked by Senate President Francis Escudero (left) and Speaker Martin Romualdez (right).     RTVM Screengrab

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MARCOS

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — An anti-political dynasty law banning relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and affinity from running for public office would be “very challenging” for the Commission on Elections, House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms Chair Zia Alonto Adiong said Friday, Feb. 13. </p><p>Comelec Chairman George Garcia had earlier said a ban on relatives to the second degree would be more workable for the commission and has been implemented in the Sangguniang Kabataan elections.</p><p>“The enforceability issue aspect of that, should we decide on applying the fourth degree civil consanguinity and affinity, to many including retired (Associate) Justice (Adolfo) Azcuna, would be very much challenging for the Comelec,” Adiong told ANC’s &quot;Headstart&quot;.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/12/opinions-on-anti-political-dynasty-bill-mixed-at-house-consultation-in-cavite-1237">Opinions on anti-political dynasty bill mixed at House consultation in Cavite</a></div><p>He noted that the discussion on the bill, which President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants Congress to prioritize, revolves mostly around its practicability and enforceability for the Comelec.</p><p>He said the bill has to specify when the Comelec should begin the due process in disqualifying candidates, which will include assessment, verification of documents, and allowing the candidate to explain his or her side. </p><p>Referring to the Supreme Court decision in Lanot v. Comelec, Adiong said an aspirant is only officially considered a candidate when the election campaign period starts, not upon filing their certificate of candidacy.</p><p>“When you disqualify a certain candidate by mere virtue of civil degree relationship, when would Comelec start to hold on to proceedings in order to disqualify a certain candidate?” Adiong said.</p><p>While the majority of the bills filed aim to ban family members up to the second degree from running at the same time, some propose extending the ban up to the fourth degree. </p><p>The second degree of consanguinity and affinity includes parents, children, spouses, grandparents, grandchildren, siblings, and their in-law counterparts. </p><p>Meanwhile, the fourth degree of consanguinity and affinity extends to great-great-grandparents, first cousins, great-aunts or uncles, and grand-nieces or nephews, and their in-law counterparts. </p><p>Verifying familial relationships of individuals residing in geographically separated locations would be difficult for Comelec, he said, giving first cousins as an example. </p><p>“There will be cases where first-degree cousins will be geographically separated, one will be probably living in Mindanao and the other cousin probably living in Luzon,” he said. </p><p>The lawmaker did not mention a particular family, but President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in the 2022 national elections, ran simultaneously as his first cousin, Rep. Martin Romualdez, who ran in Leyte’s 1st District.</p><p>At present, several lawmakers and local officials who are cousins, nephews, or with familial relationships up to fourth degree have been elected in the same localities at the same time. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/4/political-dynasties-partly-to-blame-for-flood-control-crisis-ngo-says-1822">Political dynasties partly to blame for flood control crisis, NGO says</a></div><p>Adiong added that some family members also run against each other, which he said, requires extensive discussion on determining who to disqualify.</p><p>“How do you even disqualify candidates, say for example, siblings who will be running within one locality? Who would you actually disqualify on the basis of relationship, blood relationship?” he said. </p><p>“You cannot just simply disqualify one by mere reason of, you know, blood relation,” he added. </p><p>Adiong noted that some laws and policies have banned up to second degree only,  including the Sangguniang Kabataan Law and the Bangsamoro Electoral Code of 2023.</p><p>“These are existing laws that we can actually draw inspiration from, or we can actually use it as basis,” Adiong said. </p><div> </div><div><strong>HOUSE SUPPORT</strong></div><p>The electoral reforms panel chair said he is optimistic about the outcome of the bill, especially since the anti-political dynasty bill is among those <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/9/marcos-directs-congress-to-prioritize-anti-dynasty-party-list-reform-bills-1227">Marcos wants Congress to prioritize</a>. </p><p>House Speaker Faustino &quot;Bojie&quot; Dy III of Isabela and Majority Leader Sandro Marcos of Ilocos Norte, also <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/11/speaker-dy-sandro-marcos-file-anti-political-dynasty-bill-1515">filed </a>one of the anti-political dynasty bills, which critics however questioned for allegedly being “pro-political dynasty.”</p><p>Both are members of the political clans, as is a majority of Congress.</p><p>Despite that, Adiong said “you get the sense that the leadership is carrying this over until the end, until the third reading, as far as the House of Representatives is concerned.” </p><p>The House committee is now holding public consultations with legal experts and constitutionalists tackling the bill.</p><p>He said the House in plenary may begin debate in March, adding he expects a lengthy discussion.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/11/senate-panel-conducts-consultative-meeting-on-anti-political-dynasty-bills-in-laguna-1315">Senate panel conducts consultative meeting on anti-political dynasty bills in Laguna<br/></a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CGU09C3YlWM?si=UYJer9rTdM6mA9k7" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>An anti-political dynasty law banning relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and affinity from running for public office would be “very challenging” for the Commission on Elections, House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms Chair Zia Alonto Adiong said Friday, Feb. 13.</p>

An anti-political dynasty law banning relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity and affinity from running for public office would be “very challenging” for the Commission on Elections, House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms Chair Zia Alonto Adiong said Friday, Feb. 13.

Adiong: Political dynasty ban up to 4th degree ‘very challenging’ for Comelec

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Adiong: Political dynasty ban up to 4th degree ‘very challenging’ for Comelec

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 13, 2026 11:53 AM PHT

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Zia Adiong

House of Representatives

Anti-political dynasty bill

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