Angara tells voters: Don't give political dynasties a free ride

MANILA -- Another member of the Angara clan has thrown his hat in the senatorial race, but Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo Angara said voters should not vote for him simply because of his popular surname.

Angara said the public should scrutinize the qualifications of each candidate than be turned off by the alleged legacy of corruption and power consolidation attached to some political families.

"I believe that a person should not be voted into office because of his name. We should not give political dynasties a free ride," he told reporters after filing his candidacy papers at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the 2013 midterm elections.

The son and namesake of Senator Edgardo Angara earned his bachelor's degree (with honors) at the London School of Economics and law degree at the University of the Philippines College of Law. He later went to Harvard Law School where he earned his Master of Laws.

Among the laws that he pushed were the Magna Carta of Women, Kindergarten Act, Credit Information System Act, Expanded Senior Citizens Act and the Real Investment Trust Act.

"My running does not prevent anyone from also filing (their COCs)," Angara said.

Article II, Section 26 of the Constitution states that the "State shall guarantee equal access of opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law."

The anti-political dynasty bill, however, remains unapproved in Congress, which is primarily composed of political families.

"I think we are a dynasty but ang difference po namin is may legacy po kami. Nakaupo po kami ng siyam na taon at sa siyam na taon e ini-imbita po namin ang publiko na tingnan ang mga nagawa namin sa aming lalawigan at ikumpara sa ibang dynasty at masasabi namin na hindi po naman namin ikakahiya ang mga nagawa namin," said Angara, who is on his third and last term as member of the House of Representatives.

Meantime, Angara expressed opposition to the inclusion of online libel in the controversial Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

He said the provision shouldn't have been placed because a Supreme Court decision in 2010 already backed the filing of such cases.

"Pag nagkamali siguro kailangan magpakumbaba ang mga lehislador at aminin na baka medyo baka nagkamali po kami diyan at baguhin," he said.

Angara is running under the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), which is part of the Liberal Party-led coalition. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)