THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will implement the anti-political dynasty law Congress passes regardless of its final provisions.
In a media forum, Comelec Commissioner Ernesto Ferdinand P. Maceda Jr. said the agency will abide by the law the National Government approves.
"We will not intrude with what the policy makers will decide upon," Maceda said.
The poll official said a provision covering the second degree of consanguinity and affinity remains the most feasible among the proposed legislation.
"From the perspective of the agency to implement it, it is more practical if it is second degree," he said.
Maceda said the SK and the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections already implement such a provision.
"It is already being implemented in the SK elections. It is also a provision in the Bangsamoro elections," he said.
The poll official said a second-degree provision simplifies enforcement because the agency only requires birth certificates.
"It is easier to implement second degree prohibition because the main document is the civil service record, the birth certificate. The more distant it is, the harder it can be proven," Maceda said.
More than 20 bills aiming to prohibit political dynasties remain pending before the Senate and House of Representatives. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)