Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) – For the first time, an anti-dynasty rule will be tested in a Philippine election.
Commission on Elections (COMELEC) chairman Andres Bautista on Friday praised the anti-dynasty provision found in the law reforming the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), which will be first applied in the election of barangay youth-council members on October 1.
Section 10 of Republic Act 10742 or the “Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015” approved last January says that candidates “must not be related within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity to any incumbent elected national official or to any incumbent elected regional, provincial, city, municipal, or barangay official, in the locality where he or she seeks to be elected.”
Second-degree relatives include grandparents, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, parents-in-law, daughters-in-law and sons-in-law. The COMELEC is tasked with ensuring the compliance of candidates.
Bautista said the country would benefit more if this rule were enforced in all elections.
“Our Constitution is nearly 30 years old and yet there’s still no enabling law banning political dynasties,” Bautista said in an interview during his visit to the Pasay City COMELEC office to observe the registration for the SK and barangay elections.
He said the SK elections could be considered the “first step” toward eliminating political dynasties. “But I really hope that Congress passes an anti-dynasty law,” he said.
Article 2, Section 26 of the 1987 Constitution provides equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibits political dynasties. However, a law is needed to fully enact this provision.
Lawmakers have failed to pass any proposed anti-dynasty law since 1987. For this Congress, former House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte is making another attempt by filing House Bill 166. Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon also filed his own version, Senate Bill No. 230.
Pasay City election officer Frances Aguindadao-Arabe said that despite the crowd, this year’s registration for the SK and barangay elections is more peaceful than in 2013, when people were camping outside their office two weeks before the deadline.
The Sangguniang Kabataan is a youth council that creates, implements, administers and lobbies for youth-oriented policies and programs in the barangay. It is composed of a chairperson and seven members elected by citizens age 15 to 30 years who are registered voters.
Bautista said he was happy with the nationwide voter-registration turnout despite being far lower than the COMELEC’s target of 5 million new voters. From July 15 to 28, there were 1,035,474 out of 3 million expected new voters for the SK elections and 785,582 out of 2 million expected voters for the barangay elections.
The last day for registration is Saturday, July 30. COMELEC officials said those who still want to register should come early because their offices will not extend working hours beyond 5 p.m.
