THE Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Catholic Education (CBCP-ECCE) added its voice on Thursday, February 19, 2026, to the snowballing call for an end to political dynasties.
In a statement issued with Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan and Caritas Philippines, they expressed support to the latest push for the passage on the prohibition of political dynasties, while asking the youth to join their cause.
"Let us break the hold of dynasties. In faith and solidarity, we commit to structural reform now -- for justice, for the poor, for the common good," said the groups.
"To the youth, insist that leadership be earned, not inherited. The passage of a genuine political dynasty prohibition law is a collective step toward a future, where political space is broadened, new voices are empowered, and equality is no longer deferred but fully realized," they added.
They said this is because the people have suffered long enough from the dynastic rule of a few families.
They said it is no longer acceptable for elective posts to be solely handled by family members while taking away equal opportunities for others.
"Political dynasties distort the meaning of public service, transforming elective office into a hereditary privilege rather than a mission of responsibility. When power rotates across spouses, children, cousins, and in-laws, new leaders and innovative solutions are systematically blocked," said CEAP and CBCP-ECCE.
"Patronage networks become invisible walls, turning what should be a field of free competition into a closed corridor guarded by name recall and inherited machinery. We remind our public officials once again: Public office is a trust, not a private property," they added.
In order to effectively ban political dynasties, CEAP and CBCP-ECCE issued recommendations that will make it a genuine law.
They said the law should restrict close relatives up to the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity from simultaneously holding or consecutively occupying elective positions.
The law, they said, must also limit a maximum of two relatives per family to hold an elective position, wherein one may hold a local office and one a national position, without overlapping jurisdiction.
They also said that the law must eliminate avenues for circumvention, such as substitution, rotation, or position-swapping, thereby ensuring political opportunities shall remain open to new leaders.
They also recommended that the law must institute a reasonable mandatory pause for term-limited officials and their close relatives before seeking the same office in order to create space for fresh leadership while still allowing eligible individuals to pursue other offices.
They also said that the law must apply similar restrictions to party-list representatives in order to close the loopholes that would otherwise allow political families to maintain undue influence.
To note, there are over 20 bills against political dynasties currently pending in Congress. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)