2 Cebu Solons Back President Aquino’s Call to Pass Anti-Dynasty Law

Two Cebuano members of the House of Representatives are supporting the call of President Benigno C. Aquino III for the passage of the Anti-Dynasty Law.

The President made the call during his last State of the Nation Address (sona) on Monday.

Rep. Rodrigo “Bebot” Abellanosa (Cebu City, south district) said he will support any proposed anti-dynasty bill to prevent the monopoly by a family or clan of elective government positions.

But Abellanosa said it is challenging to set the rules on who can run and who cannot run among the members of a family.

”The incumbency rule is surely not the best policy. The competency rule is very subjective. There are more parameters that will come into play,” he said.

Rep. Joseph Ace Durano (Cebu, 5th district), a member of a political clan in Danao City in northern Cebu, said he supports the objective of the proposed anti-dynasty law.

But Durano said the debate is on the definition of what is a “political dynasty.”

“There is no precedent in any republican democracy of such limitation on the universal right of suffrage. When is a family considered a political dynasty? When there are two members of such family holding public office? Or there has to be more than just two holding public offices for a family to be considered a political dynasty?” Durano said.

Durano said there is also a question on up to what degree of consanguinity or affinity should the family relations be for the family members to be considered part of the same political dynasty.

“There is no consensus at this time,” Durano said. (PNA) CTB/EB