A move vs. dynasties, at last

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

It took a long, long time, but finally, the bill that will prohibit political dynasties in the country has hurdled its first test at the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms.

This is a measure that has long been awaited by our people who are seeing, election after election, the growth of more and more family groups entering the political arena and assuming important and vital government positions. As it is now, we have families who have infiltrated various levels of political positions, from national offices to local governments, like those of governors, mayors, and even barangay officials, who belong to the same clans, and most of even having the same family names.

The last election has even discovered more and more officials elected, not only with the same family names, but actually belonging to the same households.

Such members may have administrative or leadership qualities, but surely such attributes can also be found in others coming from other families?

The bill being proposed now is to be known as the Anti Political Dynasty Act. Among its provisions are that no spouse, or person within the second civil degree should be allowed to run for any local or national office in the same election.

It is to be expected that there will be a lot of changes, of debates and arguments on the provisions and implementation of this measure, but, at least, this is a step towards the elimination of one of the most unpopular developments in our government set-up now. It may take a long time, therefore, for it to be passed into law, we can also expect.

But perhaps, by helping to push it through with our calls to our lawmakers, and through popular public clamor for it, we can see its passage soon. If we could do it to get the highly unpopular pork barrel scrapped, surely, we can also prod our solons to see the urgent need for this.*