By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
For 37 years, the 1987 Constitution’s stance against political dynasties has been toothless.
Three months ago, Sen. Robinhood Padilla introduced a bill for an enabling law to ban political dynasties. Such an attempt from a neophyte lawmaker is likely to go no further than the righteous for made by relatively seasoned Sen. Grace PoePoe back in 2022.
The composition of Congress is simply awash with ruling political families, and the majority will never pass an enabling law that defeats their very existence.
Hence, don’t be surprised if this season of filing certificates of candidacies (COCs) has been a family affair or fiesta of families, if you will.
No other choice?
The rotten trend stays consistent at the highest levels of government. Look, for instance, at President Bongbong’s latest Cabinet appointment—himself a product of a clan that has latched on to power in the North for three generations.
Of all the best and brightest in this nation of 119 million, he picks the brother of the Secretary of Justice to be his Secretary of the Interior and Local Government. Not to mention that a third brother is also appointed in PAGCOR.
So, how can we talk about dismantling political dynasties to empower our democracy, when even the Chief Executive espouses the idea of political monopoly in a Cabinet no bigger than the Senate?
Danger ahead
Resurfacing in recent headlines is a character better forgotten: Kerwin Espinosa. His apology to Leila de Lima does little to undo the damage his lies inflicted on an innocent woman. De Lima’s wrongful imprisonment remains an unforgivable crime — one in which Espinosa played his key role to the letter.
After so many years, the self-confessed drug lord now spices up his reappearance before the public, vowing justice for his slain father. I wish he just left it at that, but his crusade leaves a bad taste in the mouth because it comes conveniently as he files his candidacy for mayor of Albuera in Leyte.
It’s hard to see this as anything noble at this point. If Espinosa truly cared, he’d focus on clearing his and his father’s name — or not — rather than catapult himself to power from all the ruin for which he bears substantial blame.
Voters better think many times over before voting for someone who has spent a lot of time running from the authorities to someone running to be the authority.
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