Rodriguez eyes law vs political families

By SHIELA MAE BUTLIG
Correspondent

REP. Rufus Rodriguez of the city’s 2nd District on Tuesday said he would file a bill that would seek to prevent members of political families from serving the same constituents at the same time.

Rodriguez revealed this following President Aquino’s call on Monday for Congress to pass the Anti-Dynasty Bill into law.

Responding to the President’s appeal, Rodriguez said he would file his proposed law by August. The bill, he said, seeks to prevent politicians, related up to the second degree of consanguinity, from serving the same constituents.
“Dili pwede the same ang constituency,” he said.

Rodriguez’s proposal, if approved by Congress, would mean disqualifying many politicians in the city and the province, and elsewhere in the country from seeking public office.

Based on his proposal, a family of politicians would not be allowed to hold elective positions–– say, mayor, vice mayor, and council members––in one local government at the same time.

Take the case of the family of former mayor Vicente Emano, said Rodriguez, whose members would likely be seeking various positions in the city in next year’s elections.

Based on his proposed measure, Rodriguez said, the Emanos could seek positions in the city and the province at the same time but not in one locality where they would have the same constituents.

If approved, he said, the former mayor and members of his family cannot be elected to city hall at the same time because that would be considered “dynastic.”

He said the same would apply in the province where the governor or vice governor would not be allowed to have close relatives as members of the provincial board.

“Likewise, if you are the President, then it will not be possible that your wife or son will be your Vice President or senator,” he said.

Rodriguez however said his proposal would allow family members to hold local and national positions at the same time as long as they have different constituents.

He said he was confident the proposal would be approved by Congress before Aquino steps down next year.

Rodriguez said the proposed law would not be applicable to politicians from the same family who have different constituents. Take the case of his brother Maximo Jr. who is a congressman representing the party-list Abante Mindanao and sister Jocelyn who is the barangay chairperson of voteich Nazareth––they have different constituents.

Emano’s son Yevgeny Vincente, the governor of Misamis Oriental, said he was in favor of an anti-dynasty law provided it would only apply to people appointed in government.

Gov. Emano said, “Dynasty only applies to relatives who are appointed, and not those elected.”

Emano explained that in a dynasty, those who hold key positions are appointed or succeed by way of birth right. But in a democracy, he said, local chief executives and legislators are elected by citizens.

“Every official here was elected, not appointed by anyone. That is not considered a political dynasty,” he said. Vice Gov. Jose Mari Pelaez shared the same view. He said “political dynasty” is a misnomer “because there is no dynastic succession in the Philippines” and because officials are elected.

Pelaez said congressmen should instead be pushing for an anti-political family bill that would bar members of the same families from seeking and being elected into the government at the same time .

“I support the concept of an anti-political family law but it should be applied prospectively––meaning, after the terms of office of the current elected officials who are members of the same family,” said Pelaez.