Philippine Anti-Political Dynasty Bill Faces Weakness Concerns: Cavite Families as Litmus Test

CAVITE, Philippines – With the Supreme Court compelling the legislature to pass an anti-dynasty law “with utmost urgency,” public attention shifts to HB 8389, a consolidation of 21 related bills in the House of Representatives of the 20th Congress. Before this Act Prohibiting Political Dynasties in National and Local Elective Offices, the version that had gone farthest in the House mill was HB 6771, which was co-authored by Speaker Bojie Dy and Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, who are both members of political dynasties. It was considered weak by critics. The latest version, HB 8389, can just be as ineffective, if not worse. Just how? The biggest dynasty in the second most populated province — the Revillas of Cavite — would be a good litmus test. And so do the other political families in this Southern Luzon province. Less relatives banned House Bill 6771 sought to prevent a politician’s “spouse, siblings, and relatives within the fourth civil degree of affinity and consanguinity” from holding elective positions simultaneously within the same territory or level of government. HB 8389 is a watered-down version, reducing the coverage of the ban to relatives within the second degree of consanguinity. It only bans close relatives from occupying seats within the same locality. It doesn’t address the party list system, which has become a backdoor for political families. Which Revilla will be disqualified? In the 2025-2028 elective term, there are seven Revilla family members who hold positions in various levels of government: Lani Mercado-Revilla, wife of former senator Bong Revilla, is representative of Cavite 2nd District encompassing the city of Bacoor. Lani’s son Jolo Revilla is Cavite 1st District representative. Jolo’s uncle and aunt, Strike Revilla and Rowena Bautista-Mendiola, are the mayor and vice mayor, respectively, of Bacoor. Lani’s other son and Jolo’s brother, Bryan Revilla, is Agimat Partylist representative. Lani’s one other son and Jolo and Bryan’s brother, Ram Revilla, is Cavite’s vice governor. Jolo, Bryan, and Ram’s first cousin, Iggy Revilla-Ocampo, is a councilor in Imus, another city in Cavite. Under HB 8389, only one of these Revillas would be banned moving forward: either Strike or Rowena — because they are siblings serving within the city government of Bacoor. Only one of them can remain. How so? While mother and sons Lani, Jolo, and Bryan are all members of the House, their constituencies don’t overlap — the mother’s district is Bacoor; Jolo’s district is Cavite City, Kawit, Noveleta, and Rosario; Bryan’s constituency is national under the party list. While Strike, Rowena, and Iggy are all occupying city-level posts, they are in different cities — the first two are in Bacoor, and Iggy is in Imus. While they are all in Cavite, Ram is at the provincial level; Strike, Rowena, and Iggy are at city level; and the rest are at congressional levels. Other Cavite dynasties In a statistical inventory, the House of Representatives’ Socio-Economic Research Bureau identified at least 84 potential political dynasties in Cavite. The count, however, was based on dynasties existing within the same jurisdictions, and the research counted family names that matched but may not necessarily be related. There could be fewer — but fatter — dynasties if the inventory actually traced the relationship between elected officials across jurisdictions and various levels of government. This is how the other better-known dynasties in Cavite would be affected if they stayed in their positions and HB 8389 is enacted: Of the five Tolentinos, only one — either Aizack Brent or his mother Agnes — will be out. They are mayor and vice mayor of Tagaytay, respectively. Why the following are not banned: Aizack’s sister Daniela is a congresswoman, so hers is a different level of office and a wider jurisdiction that is the province’s 8th District. Aizack’s first cousin is a city councilor, but he is a fourth-degree relative. Aizack’s uncle, Allan, is a cousin of his father, therefore a third-degree relative, and is a councilor in another city, Silang. Of the five Remullas, none will be banned. Siblings Gabriel, Crispin, and Jacinta are in various levels of government — governor (provincial), congressman (7th District), and vice mayor (municipal, Naic), respectively. They have two distant cousins serving as councilors in two separate cities (General Trias and Imus). Of the five Loyolas, only one will be banned — either the mother Mayor Dahlia or her son Councilor Roy III, both of Carmona. Relatives or in-laws, who are vice mayor and councilor, are not within the prohibited degree of relationship. Dahlia’s husband is congressman Roy, at a different level of government. Slimmer dynasties might also take a hit: In General Trias, either father Mayor Luis Ferrer IV or son Councilor Martin Niccholo, but not brother/uncle congressman Antonio (Cavite 6th District). In Kawit, either mother Mayor Cynthia Aguinaldo or son Vice Mayor Angelo Aguinaldo. In Noveleta, either Mayor Davey Christian Chua or his brother Vice Mayor Dhino Carlo. Their other brother, Dennver Christopher, will be spared since he is mayor of another locality, Cavite City. In Tanza, either Mayor Archangelo Matro or his brother Councilor Nino Federico Matro; and either Vice Mayor Raymundo del Rosario or his brother Councilor Antonio del Rosario Jr. Other dynasties might be spared: In Imus, Alex Advincula’s mayoral post is a different level of government from his son AJ’s congressional post (Cavite 3rd District). In Dasmariñas, Jenny Barzaga’s congressional post, while encompassing only Dasmariñas City (Cavite 4th District) is a considered different level of government from her son Elpidio III’s mayoral post. ‘Pro-dynasty measure’ Business and civil society groups that formed the Justice Reform Initiative called the earlier HB 6771 a “pro-dynasty measure” even if it banned up to the fourth degree of relationships. This was because that version still “permits succession, switching, substitution, and rotation among relatives, enabling family members to occupy elective positions across levels of government and across election cycles, effectively, preserving monopoly over political power.” As for HB 8389, the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections says this version “exposes a far more troubling reality.” The bill’s “second-degree ceiling is too low,” Namfrel points out, and allowing relatives to get elected in different jurisdictions simultaneously provides a dynasty-friendly loophole. According to Namfrel, an anti-dynasty law will only be “credible” if it sets a “one seat per family rule.” This means “one national seat and one local seat at any given time.” Shut the party list backdoor Party list representatives should also be “subject to the same dynas