Bishop: 39 Years Long Enough, Congress Must Pass Anti-Dynasty Law

MANILA, Philippines — Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David has called on Congress to finally pass an anti-dynasty law, asserting that lawmakers must now heed the Supreme Court's directive. The Supreme Court recently granted consolidated petitions for certiorari and mandamus, challenging the legislature's prolonged failure over 39 years to enact an enabling law against political dynasties, a failure the Court characterized as "grave abuse of discretion." "Thirty-nine years is long enough. Congress, the Supreme Court has spoken. Now enact the law," David declared. He underscored that the SC had unanimously ruled that Congress is constitutionally mandated to enact a law prohibiting political dynasties, as stipulated in Article 2, Section 26 of the 1987 Constitution. The Court viewed Congress's inaction as a "refusal to perform a mandatory constitutional duty." "For almost four decades, the constitutional command remained largely unrealized because Congress itself was entrusted with defining what constitutes a political dynasty. The Court noted that dynasties have meanwhile remained widespread, extending even into the party-list system," the bishop elaborated. The 1987 Constitution explicitly aims to prohibit political dynasties, to be defined by law. Bishop David posed a critical question: "Perhaps this ruling raises a question larger than political dynasties themselves: what happens when those entrusted with making the law have a personal interest in not making it?" In a related development, Malacañang, the seat of the Philippine presidency, had previously affirmed that banning political dynasties is a priority for the Marcos administration. This statement suggests a potential convergence of the Supreme Court's ruling and the executive branch's legislative agenda, paving the way for the long-awaited anti-dynasty legislation.