Rights group denounces watered-down anti-pol dynasty bill
KARAPATAN Public Information
PRESS STATEMENT
June 4, 2026
Reference: Cristina Palabay, KARAPATAN secretary general, 09173162831
KARAPATAN Public Information Desk, 09189790580
Rights group denounces watered-down anti-pol dynasty bill
KARAPATAN denounced the House of Representatives’ approval of House Bill No. 8389, or the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill on third reading yesterday, June 3, 2026, as a watered down bill that will only further entrench political dynasties instead of putting an end to them.
“What else can you expect from a bill,” said KARAPATAN secretary general Cristina Palabay, “that was sponsored by Reps. Sandro Marcos and Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy who are themselves members of well-entrenched political dynasties?”
Drafted as the House of Representatives’ version of an enabling law to fulfill the 1987 Constitution’s ban on political dynasties, HB 8389 is a largely cosmetic measure that only prohibits family members of incumbent officials up to the second degree of consanguinity from seeking public office, said Palabay. “It is silent on the use by political families of substitute or allied candidates, partylist groups or other political fronts to retain control over national, regional and/or local governments,” noted Palabay.
“Also,” said Palabay, “the bill does not call for the creation of any independent body that can investigate, adjudicate possible violations and impose serious sanctions.”
“The evils of electoral fraud, corruption, warlordism and patronage politics have been firmly entrenched at every level of government through the system of political dynasties,” stressed Palabay. “Congress itself has been a viper pit of the political dynasty system since time immemorial. Eight congresses since the 1987 constitutional ban on political dynasties and we now have a joke of a bill that was systematically watered down by the political dynasties in Congress to preserve their interests.”
“This so-called anti-political dynasty bill may serve the Marcos Jr. regime’s PR objectives but will not erase political dynasties from the picture and certainly is not a cure for the ills of reactionary electoral politics,” said Palabay.
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KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign. It was established in 1995.