| Photo (cropped) via PhilStar
The Philippine House of Representatives passed House Bill No. 8389, the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act, on third and final reading on June 3, 2026, but it has been criticized as too weak because it mainly bars simultaneous holding of office by close relatives rather than broadly ending dynastic succession.
The bill defines political dynasties around spouses and relatives within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity. It blocks those covered from holding or running for certain offices simultaneously in the same locality, but it does not fully prevent family members from swapping positions over time.
The House version is also seen as allowing relatives to hold national and local posts simultaneously, so long as they serve in different districts or provinces. Civic and business groups called HB 8389 a “pro-dynasty” or “watered-down” bill, arguing it could still preserve family control of local politics. NAMFREL likewise said the House version falls short of a genuine anti-dynasty law.
Critics say the Senate version is stricter because it also bars immediate family succession.
HB 8389 is the House bill that tries to define and enforce the Constitution’s ban on political dynasties. In plain English: it mainly stops close relatives from simultaneously holding elective office in the same level of government, but it does not fully ban families from taking turns in power or holding offices across different levels.
It applies to spouses and relatives within the second civil degree, which generally includes parents, children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren, as well as relatives by marriage within that same close range. It covers elective posts from the local level up to national office, including barangay, city, municipal, provincial, House, Senate, vice presidency, and presidency. It requires candidates to declare under oath that their run will not create a prohibited dynastic setup. HB 8389 forbids two close relatives from holding elective posts at the same level of government at the same time in the same jurisdiction.
Example (a): two siblings both serving in the same provincial government at the same time would be barred. Example (b): a husband and wife both running or serving in the same local political unit at the same time would be barred.
“HB 8389 is best understood as a limited anti-dynasty rule: it blocks close relatives from serving in the same government unit at the same time, but it does not fully end family political control.”
What it still allows
- It does not fully stop one family from controlling different offices one after another, such as a parent, then a child, then a spouse succeeding the same seat.
- It also allows relatives to hold offices at different levels at the same time if the bill’s specific same-level rule is not triggered.
- That is why critics call it “watered down” or even “pro-dynasty.”
Why critics object
- Critics say the bill manages dynasties instead of dismantling them, because it focuses on simultaneity rather than succession.
- They also argue it leaves major loopholes, especially for family members who swap posts over time or spread across different offices.
- NAMFREL and other groups have publicly said it falls short of a genuine anti-dynasty law.
HB 8389 is best understood as a limited anti-dynasty rule: it blocks close relatives from serving in the same government unit at the same time, but it does not fully end family political control.
In the final analysis, anti-dynasty or pro-dynasty boils down to voter awareness. Each election is a mechanism to dismantle political dynasties; instead, voters decide to elect the same officials over and over again. Some Filipinos believe that the devil I know is better than the devil I do not know.
Worse, voters do not ask the fundamental question – have I elected officials who have made my life better, created jobs for my community so no one need go to urban areas or go overseas for employment, has there been social justice such as true zero-cost health care for the poor and seniors, does my community have enough classrooms with scholarships made available for higher education and did the official I elected appear to get richer while in office or gained control of some facet of local business?
Political dynasties are not merely the apparent bequest of public office by family lineage but a reflection of an immature electorate that keeps tolerating the same.
The anti-dynasty law is now squarely upon the Philippine Senate to correct. To be clear, the Senate is just as riddled with dynastic senators as the House of Representatives. The Senate has the Cayetanos, Villars, Tulfos, Ejercito/Estrada, Marcos (sister of the President), Sotto (uncle of Vico Sotto – Mayor of Pasig City), Marcoleta (father of Cong Marcoleta), Gatchalian (brother of DSWD Sec Gatchalian), etc.
The weak anti-dynasty law was passed by the House of Representatives, 80% of whom are from dynasty political families. The fox guarding the hen house.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Dr. Crispin Fernandez advocates for overseas Filipinos, public health, transformative political change, and patriotic economics. He is also a community organizer, leader, and freelance writer.
