The lawmaker who steered the House of Representatives' anti-political dynasty bill is publicly pushing back against criticism that the measure is toothless, insisting it is "not a watered-down version" even as the specific loopholes flagged by reform advocates remain in the text.
Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, the sponsor of House Bill 8389, defended the measure on June 18 against a chorus of business and civil society groups who say its narrow scope would entrench rather than dismantle political dynasties. His defense reframes a now-familiar fight: the bill is historic as the first anti-dynasty measure to clear a chamber of Congress since the 1987 Constitution, but its critics argue that is precisely because it asks dynasties to give up very little.
"On the contrary, it addresses the core problem of monopoly of power exercised by one family within one locality," Adiong said, according to The Philippine STAR, describing the bill as a "positive development." He noted that more than 1,700 municipal executive positions could be affected and called the measure a major step toward implementing the constitutional ban on political dynasties, which has remained undefined since the 1987 Constitution was ratified.
The criticism Adiong is answering is specific. Business and civil society groups have pointed out that HB 8389 allows relatives beyond the second degree of consanguinity or affinity to hold office simultaneously across every level of government, and that it "also enables unlimited succession and position switching," according to The Philippine STAR. In practice, that means a measure billed as ending dynasties would still allow a single family to occupy a governorship, a House seat, a mayoralty and a vice-mayoralty at the same time, so long as the office-holders are not within the prohibited second-degree band — and would let an incumbent term out of one post and immediately seek another.
What the bill does — and does not — do
HB 8389 prohibits spouses and relatives within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity from simultaneously holding or seeking elective posts within the same political jurisdiction. The second degree covers parents, children, siblings, and grandparents or grandchildren — a relatively tight circle that excludes more distant relatives such as cousins, nephews and in-laws beyond the first tier. The election watchdog NAMFREL and other groups have argued that the Constitution's framers left "political dynasties" to be defined by Congress precisely so that the definition would be meaningful, and that a second-degree limit falls short of that mandate.
The bill passed the House on third and final reading in early June. Accounts of the vote tally vary by outlet — The Philippine STAR earlier reported 271 affirmative votes, while the Philippine News Agency and the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported 267 in favor with 20 against and seven abstentions — but all agree the margin was lopsided. That breadth of support is itself part of the critics' argument: a House composed largely of members of political families approved the measure with little resistance, which reform advocates read as evidence the bill does not threaten the status quo. Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander "Sandro" Marcos, a co-author, has acknowledged the version passed "may not be the most ideal" but said it was the one that drew the most support from lawmakers, most of whom, he conceded, belong to dynasties.
Context
The 1987 Constitution states that the State "shall prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law," but nearly four decades of Congresses have declined to supply that definition. HB 8389 now moves to the Senate, where analysts have said it faces an uncertain path, and any final version would still need to survive a bicameral conference and the President's signature. Anti-dynasty advocates have urged the Senate to reject the House text and have called on President Marcos to veto what they describe as a "sham" measure should it reach his desk. Whether Adiong's defense persuades the Senate — or whether the chamber rewrites the second-degree limit that has drawn the most fire — will determine if the first dynasty bill to clear the House becomes a genuine reform or a constitutional formality.
Sources
- Delon Porcalla, "House dynasty bill not watered down?" Philstar.com, June 18, 2026 — https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/06/18/2535974/house-dynasty-bill-not-watered-down
- "House passes anti-political dynasty bill on final reading," Philippine News Agency, June 2026 — https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1276504
- "House approves anti-dynasty bill on third and final reading," Philippine Daily Inquirer, June 2026 — https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2239590/house-approves-anti-dynasty-bill-on-final-reading
- "NAMFREL Statement on the Passage of House Bill No. 8389," ANFREL — https://anfrel.org/namfrel-statement-on-the-passage-of-house-bill-no-8389/