House Passes Anti-Dynasty Bill on Final Reading — Historic First, but Critics Say Its Weak Provisions Explain Why It Got Through

The House of Representatives on June 3 did something it has refused to do for more than 35 years: it passed an anti-political dynasty bill on final reading. House Bill No. 8389 cleared the lower chamber 267-20-7, with Ilocos Norte Representative Ferdinand Alexander "Sandro" Marcos III — son of the President and co-author of the measure — hailing it as a "constitutional mandate that has remained pending for decades." But five of the bill's original co-authors had already withdrawn, calling the substitute measure "watered down." Rappler characterized it as "hollow." Critics and legal scholars argue the bill's core prohibitions are so narrow that most of the country's dominant political families would be largely unaffected — and that this, rather than a sudden reformist impulse, is what allowed it to pass in a chamber where more than half the members come from political dynasties. **What the Bill Actually Bans** House Bill No. 8389 prohibits spouses and relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity from occupying elected posts simultaneously. Under the bill, a sitting mayor cannot have a spouse or close blood relative simultaneously holding another elected position — a senator cannot simultaneously have a sibling serving as a governor in the same period. The key restriction that makes the bill politically viable for its authors: it applies only to simultaneously-held positions, not to succession. A congressman's son may still run to replace him after he steps down; a governor's wife may still run for the Senate after her husband's term ends. The bill does not address term-staggered dynasties — the dominant form of political dynasty in the Philippines — at all. Candidates would be required to submit a sworn declaration to the Commission on Elections certifying they are not in a prohibited dynasty arrangement. Penalties for falsification and circumvention are included. **The Dynasty Drafting Itself** The substitute bill was co-authored by Sandro Marcos — whose father is the sitting President, whose late grandfather was a former dictator, and whose aunt serves as a governor — and by Speaker Ferdinand Martin Dy, a member of the Dy political family that has dominated Isabela province for decades. BusinessWorld, GMA News, and Rappler all reported on June 3 that the bill's passage came after several legislators who backed a stronger version withdrew their co-authorship when the substitute text replaced a broader draft. The stronger version would have covered not just simultaneous office-holding but also successive family members running for the same seat. "Five original co-authors withdrew, calling [the bill] 'watered down,'" Rappler reported on June 3. **Senate Prospects Uncertain** Even the weak House version may not survive the Senate intact. As Rappler noted in prior reporting on an earlier House reading, four pairs of siblings currently serve in the Senate — a fact that makes any prohibition touching on sibling officeholders politically fraught. The House bill's provisions are narrow enough that they would not directly affect most current senators, but Senate deliberation could still produce amendments or outright inaction. The bill was certified as urgent by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and identified as a priority under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC). The House adjourned sine die on June 3 (the Senate having done so the same day, ahead of the formal June 6 adjournment date, due to the Senate leadership crisis). Whether the measure will be taken up by the Senate in a special session or when Congress reconvenes on July 27 remains to be seen. **Context** Section 26 of Article II of the 1987 Philippine Constitution mandates that "the State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law." For 38 years, Congress — itself dominated by political dynasties — declined to pass the enabling legislation. The House bill marks the first time the lower chamber has voted for any version of such a law on final reading. The bill still needs Senate concurrence and presidential signature to take effect. Constitutional scholars note that even in its current form, it would be the first statutory definition of "political dynasty" in Philippine law — providing a legal baseline that could potentially be strengthened in future Congresses, though critics warn that a weak baseline may entrench a permissive standard that is harder to tighten later. --- **Sources** - [For first time in history, anti-dynasty bill passes House, but it's hollow — Rappler](https://www.rappler.com/philippines/house-passes-weak-anti-dynasty-bill-june-3-2026/) - [House passes anti-dynasty bill on final reading — Philippine Daily Inquirer](https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2239590/house-approves-anti-dynasty-bill-on-final-reading) - [House passes anti-dynasty bill on final reading — BusinessWorld](https://bworldonline.com/the-nation/2026/06/03/754297/house-passes-anti-dynasty-bill-on-final-reading/) - [House passes anti-political dynasty bill on final reading — GMA News](https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/990094/house-dynasty-bill-historic-final-reading/story/) - [House passes anti-political dynasty bill on final reading — Philippine News Agency](https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1276504) - [PBBM approves 21 priority legislative measures, including anti-dynasty bill — Presidential Communications Office](https://pco.gov.ph/news_releases/pbbm-approves-21-priority-legislative-measures-including-anti-dynasty-bill-at-third-ledac-meeting/)