CARMONA CiTY, Cavite--The public discourse for and against the Anti Political Dynasty Law here turned into a generational debate.

This, after a clear line in the sand was drawn between elder residents who opposed the enactment of such law, and the people roughly a third of their age who favored the long-sought prohibition in the electoral process.

Some 1,000 individuals from the local government units (LGUs] of Cavite and Laguna gathered here at the Carsigma Gym along Sugar Road Thursday, Feb. 12 to participate in the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms' first public consultation on the 24 filed anti-political dynasty bills in the 20th Congress.

John de la Cruz of General Mariano Alvarez (GMA), Cavite, frankly said during the manifestation portion of the event that Carmona's current state of progress was all thanks to a "poltical dynasty".

"Kung ating balik-tanawin, ako’y tiga-GMA, 1982 pa ako sa GMA, saksi ako sa kung ano’ng naganap dito sa bayan ng Carmona, dating tapunan ng basura, tapunan ng mga patay. Dahil do’n sa pagpapalitan ng mag-asawa — ni Congressman Roy at ni Mayor Loyola--umunlad ito ano?" he said.

(Looking back, I am from GMA, and I’ve been with GMA since 1982. I have witnessed what has taken place here in the town of Carmona, once a dumping ground for garbage, even for the dead. Because of the switching of positions between the couple--Congressman Roy and Mayor Loyola--this city prospered, right?)

Dela Cruz--who looked to be in his 50s--compared Carmona to GMA, which he said had a revolving door of elected officials.

"Walang political dynasty sa aming bayan (GMA), paiba-iba ang nanunungkulan. Pero tignan ninyo, hindi namin alam kung paatras, paabante, pakaliwa, patabingi ang direksyon ng aming bayan.

(In our town, there is no political dynasty—the leadership changes from time to time. But look at us: we don’t even know whether our town is moving backward, forward, sideways, or off course.)

"Hindi po ito usapin ng political dynasty, hindi ang batas na ito ang magtatanggal ng political dynasty, kung hindi taumbayan ang magtatanggal kapag hindi naglingkod sa mamamayan," he said, as if to underscore that there was no need for an Anti-Political Dynasty Law.

(This is not a matter of political dynasties. It is not this law that will abolish dynasties, but the people themselves, when they refuse to keep in office those who fail to serve the citizens.)

Echoing Dela Cruz's position was his fellow GMA resident, Beth Biyohon. "Since 1968 dumating ako rito 12 years old, ang bayan po ng Carmona ay isa hindi maunlad na bayan (Since 1968, when I arrived here at the age of 12, Carmona was an underdeveloped town).

Biyohon said she witnessed how the town transformed into a city the past few years. In this regard, she argued that the voters should be entrusted on who to elect and not to elect.

"Ang tao, nakakaalam kung sino ang iboboto nila...Maging hindi po yan political dynasty, kung gagawa yan ng corruption, gahawa yan (People know who they will vote for. And even if it is not a political dynasty, if those in power want to commit corruption, then they will)," she said.

"Sana po maunawaan ninyo kaming lahat na hindi kami sang-ayon sa [Anti-] Political Dynasty [Law]. Kasi po ang mamamayan may sarili kaming pag-isip, may sarili kaming pananaw kung sino po ang lider na nagbibitbit ng interes ng mamamayan," Biyohon said at the event, which was presided over by committee chairman Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.

(We hope you understand us—all of us—that we do not agree with the [Anti-] Political Dynasty [Law]. Because as citizens, we have our own judgment, our own perspective on who the leader is that truly carries the interests of the people.)

On the other side of the argument and age spectrum were teenagers Renzo Luis Pasterio and Kaioron Bugtong, who were convinced that the legislature needs to finally pass an enabling law for the anti-political dynasty provision in the 1987 Constitution.

Pasterio argued that good governance isn't a genetic quality that can be passed down among relatives.

"Ako po ay against sa political dynasty. And one factor of that is pagdating po sa mga elections (And one factor of that has to do with the elections). Not necessarily when a parent does a good job, their children will do the same thing. We are living in the 21st century and we are somehow struggling to evolve," he said.

The student reckoned that every Filipino is qualified for elective posts; they just need to ne given a chance.

"With the candidacy of family members in the government, is it about their family background or public service? Lahat po ng tao ay qualified (Every individual is qualified) to lead and they should have the rights to lead in our nation," Pasterio.

Bugtong, a member of the Kabataang Caviteño Kontra Korapsyon, said he skipped school just to be able to air his views at the public consultation here.

"Napaghaharian po tayo ng mga dinastiya--iisang apelyido, iisang pamilya, at iisang interes ang isinusulong. Dahil iisa lang po ang may hawak ng kapangyarihan, iisa lang din po yung iniikutan ng pagpapasya," he said.

(We are being ruled by dynasties—one surname, one family, and one interest being advanced. Because only one group holds the power, decisions revolve around them alone.)

Bugtong ended his comments by asking a simple question to residents and legislators present.

"May isa po akong katanungan. Kung wala pong tinatago ang mga opisyal, bakit ayaw po nila ng anti-political dynasty law?...bakit ayaw po nilang ipasa ang anti-political dynasty bill (I have one question: If officials have nothing to hide, why do they oppose the anti-political dynasty law?...Why do they refuse to pass the anti-political dynasty bill?)"

The suffrage panel is set to hold similar public consultations in Cebu and Cagayan de Oro next week.