THE House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms on Thursday took the battle against political dynasties to the Visayas, holding its second public consultation on proposed anti-dynasty measures at the UP Cebu Performing Arts Hall.
Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, committee chairperson, led the hearing focused on 24 bills seeking to define and enforce the constitutional ban on political dynasties under Article II, Section 26 of the 1987 Constitution.
In his opening message, Adiong called on citizens to take an active role in shaping the proposed law.
“Today, we are here to listen. You have the opportunity to help craft a key part of the rules that govern who may seek public office and under what conditions,” he said.
“The future is not something you wait for. It is something we build. If today’s Philippines is in loving hands then let us express that love through responsible participation, thoughtful debate, and principled engagement. Love of country requires action. This is your opportunity to speak. It is our duty, as your representatives, to listen.”
Adiong stressed that the committee’s mandate goes beyond drafting election laws.
“At its core, our work is about safeguarding the people’s sovereignty. Our Constitution declares that sovereignty resides in the people. That means political power begins and ends with citizens,” he said.
He noted that prior to the Cebu forum, the panel conducted two committee hearings and a public consultation in Cavite, where constitutional principles, legal standards and implementation issues were examined.
“We have heard citizens from Luzon on their lived realities when it comes to political dynasties,” Adiong said. “But no reform will be meaningful if it is crafted without the people it is meant to serve.”
The Cebu leg, he said, aims to gather insights from the Visayas on the 24 anti-political dynasty measures now under committee review.
“In today’s public forum we are determined to listen to the voice of the people of the Visayas on the 24 Anti-Political Dynasty bills referred to the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms for consideration and deliberation,” he said.
Among the key issues tackled were the scope of prohibitions, including degrees of consanguinity and affinity, coverage of national and local positions, and enforcement mechanisms by the Commission on Elections.
Adiong also thanked Speaker Faustino “Bodjie” Dy III for backing efforts to amplify public participation, as well as UP President Angelo “Jijil” Jimenez, UP Cebu Chancellor Atty. Leo B. Malagar and the UP Cebu administration for hosting the consultation.
The hearing was attended by Committee Vice Chairperson Jonathan Keith Flores and members Emigdio P. Tanjuatco III, Alfredo A. Garbin Jr., Edgar R. Erice, Leila M. De Lima, Sarah Jane I. Elago, Rachel Marguerite B. Del Mar, Renee Louise M. Co and Nathaniel M. Oducado.
The Cebu consultation forms part of a series of regional engagements as the House moves to craft what could become the long-awaited enabling law against political dynasties.
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