FACT CHECK: Sen. Robinhood Padilla flip flops on political dynasties

Less than a month after saying that having three Dutertes in the 2025 senatorial race is “good news,” Sen. Robinhood Padilla filed a bill prohibiting political dynasties.

Padilla’s proposed anti-political dynasty measure bans family members or relatives from running for any elective office in the same city and/or province, or any party list in the same election.

STATEMENT

Padilla’s proposal, filed on July 15 and logged as Senate Bill 2730, says in part:

“No spouse or person related within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity, whether legitimate or illegitimate, full or half blood, to an incumbent elective official seeking reelection, shall be allowed to hold or run for any elective office in the same city and/or province, or any party list in the same election.”

Source: Sen. Robinhood Padilla, The Anti-Political Dynasty Law, July 15, 2024

In a media release issued after filing the bill, the neophyte senator said:

“Political dynasties, in effect, have exhausted resources to attain economic and political dominance while at the same time compromising political competition and undermining accountability.”

Source: Senate of the Philippines official website, Sen. Robin Files Anti-Political Dynasty Bill, July 15, 2024

Padilla chairs the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes, to which the anti-dynasty bill would most likely be referred.

FACT

Padilla welcomed the statement of Vice President Sara Duterte on June 25 that her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, along with her brothers, Rep. Paolo Duterte and Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, will run for Senate seats in the 2025 midterm elections.

He said:

“Napakagandang balita noon. Para sa akin magkakaroon ako ng mga kakampi sa Senado bukod kay Sen. Bong Go, Sen. [Ronald] Bato [Dela Rosa] saka Sen. [Francis]Tolentino.”

(That’s very good news. For me, I will have allies in the Senate other than Sens. Bong Go, Sen. [Ronald] Bato [Dela Rosa] and [Francis]Tolentino.)

Source: Twitter account of Jessica Ann Evangelista (Inquirer.net), WATCH: Sen. Robin Padilla reacts to three Dutertes’ plan to run for senator in the next elections, June 27, 2024

BACKSTORY

The 1987 Constitution prohibits political dynasties, but an enabling law is necessary to implement it. Section 26, Article II says:

“The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.”

Source: Senate Electoral Tribunal official website, 1987 Constitution, Feb. 2, 1987

Since the 8th Congress convened in 1987, there have been attempts to pass an anti-dynasty measure, but those have been unsuccessful until the current 19th Congress due to the persistence of political dynasties in all levels of the government.

Some of the notable proposals to end political dynasties are those sponsored by the late senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago in 2011, Sen. Grace Poe in 2016 and Sen. Panfilo Lacson in 2019.

Currently, all branches of the government are dominated by members of political families, with the Marcos and Duterte families occupying the two top posts in the bureaucracy. In the Senate, more than half of the seats are occupied by members of political families.

Editor’s note: This fact check was produced with the help of a journalism student of the University of the Philippines Los Baños as part of their internship at VERA Files.