President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on December 9 that an anti-dynasty bill is among his priority measures for the 20th Congress, a move that raised eyebrows given his family's entrenched political dominance. Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro explained that the president seeks to empower the public to choose leaders based on merit rather than surnames.
In the early months of his presidency, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s official delegations and diplomatic engagements often featured family members, including his first cousin, former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, and his son, Ilocos Norte 1st District Representative Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, who served as deputy majority floor leader in the 19th Congress. The 19th and 20th Congresses include numerous Marcos and Romualdez relatives from Ilocos Norte and Leyte. The Marcos family has long dominated politics in Ilocos Norte, where the current governor is Marcos's aunt by marriage and the vice governor is the son of his sister, Senator Imee Marcos.
On December 9, Malacañang announced that the anti-dynasty bill, which would implement a constitutional provision against political clans, is a priority for Marcos in the 20th Congress. The president has not spoken directly on the matter, but Undersecretary Claire Castro clarified during a December 10 press briefing: “Naiiba na po iyong political landscape. Nakikita natin na mayroong mga umabuso na politiko, may nagpapaikot ng batas. [The] public demands a fairer system. Ang nais ng Pangulo ay mas lumakas ang kapangyarihan ng taumbayan at hindi ng iilang mapang-abusong politiko. Nais ng Pangulo na ang taumbayan ay makapamili ng liderato nang naaayon sa merito at hindi sa apelyido.”
Advocates have pushed for anti-dynasty legislation for decades, but progress has been slow as both the House and Senate are filled with members from dynastic political families. As majority leader and chair of the committee on rules, Sandro Marcos can influence the bill's pace. Key questions remain: Will it target “fat” dynasties, where relatives hold multiple positions simultaneously, or “thin” dynasties involving family succession? To what degree of relation would it apply? Castro noted: “Kaya ang bilin ng Pangulo, aralin itong mabuti para maging tama ang definition ng dynasty.”
Amid a declining popularity and the escalating flood control corruption controversy, the public watches skeptically as this potential shift unfolds in the Marcos administration.
