After SC nudge, Senate to seek urgent tag for anti-dynasty bill

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate will ask President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to tag the anti-political dynasty bill as urgent in the hopes of securing its passage before the end of the current session of the 20th Congress.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros shared during the first hearing of the Senate ad hoc committee on the country's economic slowdown on Thursday, September 24. 

Hontiveros was responding to former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo, who blamed political dynasties for widespread corruption and a culture of "red tape" that stymies businesses. 

"Our politics and institutions have a huge problem because of the dominance of political dynasties," Guinigundo said in mixed English and Filipino.

The Senate leadership has agreed to lobby for the swift passage of the anti-dynasty bill after the Supreme Court's recent and historic appeal for such a measure.

"Just last night — before we adjourned session — the Senate leadership requested that, in addition to being a LEDAC priority, the anti-political dynasty bill also be certified as urgent, so that we can attempt to pass it during the current session of the 20th Congress," Hontiveros said in mixed English and Filipino.

Marcos has made the anti-dynasty bill a priority of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC). 

But an urgent certification would compel Congress to fast-track its passage and bypass the three-day rule between readings. 

The anti-dynasty bill cleared third and final reading at the House in June. The Senate version has hurdled the committee-level but has yet to reach the floor. 

The current second regular session will end on October 9.  

Economic slump partially attributed to dynasties

The special Senate committee on Reinvigorate Investment and Sustainable Economic Growth (RISE), chaired by Hontiveros, aims to reach a "unified diagnosis" of what ails the economy.

Gunigundo, one of the resource persons at the committee hearing today, argued that breaking the grip of political dynasties would help stamp out red tape and corruption in the bureaucracy.

To do this, the former BSP executive said both chambers of Congress needed to pass a "genuine" anti-political dynasty law.

The current House version of the bill, Gunigundo added, is riddled with loopholes as it does not address the core issues of dynasties.

Civil society groups have criticized House Bill 8289 for imposing kinship restrictions that are too narrow given it bans relatives only within the second degree of consanguinity (e.g. parents, children, and siblings). 

Hontiveros thanked Gunigundo for bringing up the issue of political dynasties, given there are findings that localities long ruled by them lag behind in development.

"Thank you for mentioning the challenge posed to us in Congress ... concerning the anti-political dynasty bill, which we have been waiting on for 39 years now," Hontiveros said. 

"I also wish to thank the Senate leadership, led by the Senate president, for responding to the Supreme Court's recent reminder to us," she added.

The Supreme Court last week issued a rare writ of mandamus that explicitly highlighted Congress' failure to pass an anti-political dynasty law for almost four decades.  

Associate Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando cited Article 2, Section 26 of the Constitution in the ruling to remind the government that it has a “constitutional duty” to prohibit dynasties.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian agreed with Gunigundo and said foreign chambers and ambassadors who visit the Senate often complain about dealing with the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Bureau of Customs, and local government units. 

"When they have a hard time, that is the image being portrayed about the Philippines in their country, that it's hard to do business here," he said.

Gatchalian opened the hearing by citing data that shows corruption and inflation have cost the economy an estimated P2.7 trillion in actual and opportunity losses since the second quarter of 2025.