CARMONA CiTY Cavite--Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong has practically guaranteed the passage of the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Law at the committee level, as he cited the clear clamor for the measure in and out of the House of Representatives.

"This will certainly pass at the House of Representatives. We're just looking at the timeline because we're also realistic," Adiong said in press conference here Thursday afternoon, Feb. 12 at the Carsigma Gym.

Adiong chairs the Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, where at least 24 filed bills against political dynasties have been referred to.

An estimated 1,000 people packed the gym for the committee's first public consultation on the effort to pass an Anti-Political Dynasty Law, which Adiong presided over just minutes earlier.

"Next week we will only be holding one session day because of the Chinese New Year. That would definitely impact on the timeline when the Committee would be able to come up with a committee report for plenary debate," he said.

Adiong described the passage of the measure as non-negotiable.

"As far as the basis for this particular measure is concerned, it's very clear that it's not even negotiable eh, kasi (because) it's the Constitution speaking eh. There has to be an anti-political dynasty as clearly defined by law," the House assistant majority leader said.

While the 39-year-old Charter provides for a ban on political dynasties, Congress has never been able to pass an implementing law for it.

"Ang sa akin lang is 24 versions na. So ibig sabihin the clamor is there (For me, 24 versions of a bill is hard to ignore. So that means the clamor is there), not only from the people outside, but the clamor is also inside the House of Representatives," Adiong said.

He underscored that the House leadership, particularly Speaker Faustino "Bojie" Dy III and Majority Leader Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos have filled their own version of an Anti-Political Dynasty Law in House Bill (HB) No.6771.

"So it's really a matter of how to balance it out," Adiong noted, apparently referring to the two hard caps being proposed against political dynasty families. One is up to the second degree of consanguinity, and the other is the fourth degree of consanguinity.

No consensus among the solons have been reached so far in the two public hearings held by the committee at Batasan Complex.

The event here represented the Luzon leg of the public consultations. The importance of holding such discussions for the landmark bill wasn't lost on Adiong.

"Dinala po namin ang pagdinig na ito sa labas ng Kongreso dahil malinaw ang sinasabi ng ating Saligang Batas: ‘Sovereignty resides in the People’ (We brought this hearing outside the halls of Congress because our Constitution clearly states: ‘Sovereignty resides in the People')," he said.

“Ngayong araw, hindi lang kami narito para magsalita, kundi para makinig. Ito ay pagdinig mismo sa boses ng mamamayan sa isang usaping tumatama sa pinakaugat ng ating demokrasya,” he added.

(Today, we are not here only to speak, but also to listen. This is a hearing of the people’s voice on an issue that strikes at the very heart of our democracy.)

Carmona Mayor Dahlia Loyola welcomed participants to the consultation, and said the city was honored to host the first public consultation on the anti-political dynasty measures.