Tuesday, November 14, 2006 Palace accused of 'hypocrisy' in political dynasty issue
MALACANANG would not in any way support a bill that prohibits political dynasty, said some minority members in the House of Representatives amid an accusation by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's aide hitting the opposition so-called "dynastyism".
Senior Deputy Minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano said he would not have second thoughts not to join next year's mid-term elections if Malacañang itself would campaign and certify as urgent the anti-political dynasty bill.
"But I doubt if Malacanang would support this. Hindi naman puwede na ang (It could not be that the) prohibition of political dynasty would only apply to the members of the opposition and would allow the President's family and allies to establish their own (political) dynasty," said Cayetano in a telephone interview.
If Malacañang is sincere in prohibiting political dynasty, then Malacañang should certify as urgent House Bill (HB) 5925, a substitute bill for HB 3335 and 4407 filed by Representatives Satur Ocampo, Teodoro Casiño and Joel Virador of Bayan Muna; and administration congressman Arthur Defensor.
HB 5925 or a measure that prohibits the establishment of political dynasties, had already been approved in the committee level and is due to be included in the Order of Business for floor deliberations in the coming days.
The Cayetanos are among the families who would want to share power in the Senate, along with the Estradas and Pimentels, Arroyo's political affairs adviser Gabriel Claudio earlier said.
Claudio was referring to House senior minority leader Cayetano, who is reportedly contemplating to run for senator in next year's election, San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito, and Aquilino Pimentel III.
The opposition leader in the House chided Claudio for his statement about "dynastyism", claiming that President Arroyo herself had already established her own political dynasty.
"Bakit hindi niya naisip na dito lang sa Kongreso, narito ang anak at bayaw ng presidente. Hindi ba isang uri rin ito ng (Why didn't she think that in Congress itself, her son and brother-in-law are here. Isn't this another form of) political dynasty," the congressman said.
Cayetano said Arroyo should also prohibit her family from running for government posts and to remove appointed officials related to congressmen whom she appointed after the botched impeachment against her.
Arroyo's youngest child, Diosdado Arroyo and First Gentleman's sister, Marilou Arroyo are both planning to secure congressional seats in the May 2007 elections.
The anti-political dynasty measure had been proposed many times during in past five Congresses, according to Defensor, one of the proponents of the bill but all to no avail.
In the 12th Conrgess, there were five proposals made but all of it did not even pass the committee level.
Defensor said his proposal was different since it does not seek to prohibit sons and daughters of public officials from succeeding him/her but rather seeks to stop the unpleasant situation wherein members of the same family are holding public office simultaneously.
Situations where the father is the governor, the mother is congresswoman and the son is the mayor is actually "the anathema to our democratic life and has been a hindrance to national development," he said.
Ocampo, Casiño and Virador, for their part, believed that it is about time to put a stop to political dynasties, which will eventually give equal access to public service.
"The extended family system, an otherwise beneficial concept when applies to the social aspects of human behavior, has found its pernicious effects in the political arena where public office has become the exclusive domain of influential families and clans. Such families have become so well-entrenched in Philippine politics that they have monopolized political power and public resources at all levels of government," they said. (DBP/Sunnex)
