Joselito Malig

Article (news)

Raine Musñgi

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Passing another anti-political dynasty law may not be enough to dismantle the country&#x27;s entrenched political families unless lawmakers first address the role of money in politics, according to a political scientist who says campaign finance reform should be at the center of the Philippines&#x27; democratic agenda. </p><p>Speaking on ANC&#x27;s Market Edge, Dr. Fernando Casal Bértoa, Associate Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Nottingham, said one of the most significant reforms Congress could pursue is banning corporate political donations while strengthening political parties through a more transparent financing system.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/6/27/biz-groups-slam-watered-down-anti-dynasty-bill-warn-it-may-entrench-political-families-0800"><strong>Biz groups slam &#x27;watered-down&#x27; anti-dynasty bill, warn it may entrench political families</strong></a></div><p>&quot;Corporate donations, for example, should be banned,&quot; Bértoa told host Michelle Ong.</p><p>He argued that corporations, unlike ordinary citizens, participate in politics to protect business interests rather than the broader public interest.</p><p>&quot;Democracy is based on the principle of one person, one vote. When you allow corporate donations, you are allowing the owner of the corporation to donate twice: as an individual and through a corporation,&quot; he said. </p><p>His recommendation goes beyond existing Philippine election laws.</p><p>Under the Omnibus Election Code, corporate political contributions are not completely prohibited. Instead, the law bars donations from specific entities, including government contractors, public utilities, franchise holders, foreign corporations, and other prohibited donors listed under Section 95, while other domestic corporations may legally contribute subject to election rules. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) also requires candidates and political parties to disclose campaign contributions and expenditures through Statements of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE). Those disclosure rules were updated for the 2025 elections. </p><p>For Bértoa, however, disclosure alone does not fully address the influence of large private interests on politics.</p><div><strong>&#x27;FIX POLITICAL FINANCE FIRST&#x27;</strong></div><p>Rather than focusing solely on legislation banning political dynasties, Bértoa believes reforming how political parties are funded would gradually weaken family-based politics by making parties, not surnames, the center of electoral competition.</p><p>&quot;If you have strong political parties... you are also tackling the problem of dynasties,&quot; he said. </p><p>&quot;You don&#x27;t have to pass a law to go against the dynasties. You just create an institution that, with time, is going to change the behavior.&quot; </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"><strong>Political dynasties partly to blame for flood control crisis, NGO says</strong></a></div><p>His argument comes as proposals to prohibit political dynasties continue to face resistance in Congress despite a provision in the 1987 Constitution directing lawmakers to prohibit political dynasties &quot;as may be defined by law.&quot; Nearly four decades later, no enabling national anti-dynasty law has been enacted.</p><p>Instead of another legislative battle over political families, Bértoa said institutional reforms that strengthen parties could produce more durable change. </p><div><strong>WHY POLITICAL PARTIES REMAIN WEAK</strong></div><p>Bértoa also described the Philippines as having one of Asia&#x27;s least institutionalized party systems, marked by frequent party switching, mergers, splits and personality-driven politics.</p><p>He said weak parties have become electoral vehicles built around individual candidates rather than enduring organizations anchored on ideology and policy platforms </p><p>That makes it easier for politicians to transfer from one party to another after elections and harder for voters to identify parties based on consistent principles.</p><p>&quot;The Philippines is among the least stable,&quot; he said, referring to his comparative research on political party systems across Asian democracies. </p><p>He acknowledged that democratic institutions take decades to mature, pointing to Europe&#x27;s own experience before concluding that the Philippines remains &quot;a work in progress.&quot;</p><p>Catch the full interview with Dr. Fernando Casal Bértoa on Market Edge and on YouTube with ANC 24/7.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8ytdyQygI_4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div>  </div>

<p>Passing another anti-political dynasty law may not be enough to dismantle the country's entrenched political families unless lawmakers first address the role of money in politics, according to a political scientist.</p>

Passing another anti-political dynasty law may not be enough to dismantle the country's entrenched political families unless lawmakers first address the role of money in politics, according to a political scientist.

Anti-political dynasty law won't be enough, analyst says

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Anti-political dynasty law won't be enough, analyst says

Raine Musñgi,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 27, 2026 04:56 PM PHT

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Anti-dynasty

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