The House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms approved a substitute bill for the long-sought Anti-Political Dynasty Law, with a second degree of consanguinity or affinity pushed as the limit for political families.

Committee chairman, Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong led the deliberations on Tuesday, March 3 on the 25 anti-political dynasty measures referred to it in there current 20th Congress.

The substitute bill was based on House Bill (HB) No. 6771, filed by House Speaker Isabela 6th district Rep. Faustino "Bojie" Dy III and Majority Leader Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos.

"We adopted the committee report and hopefully by next week, we will be delivering our committee report on the plenary to also start and begin the plenary debates for its eventual approval on the floor," Adiong said in subsequent press conference Tuesday afternoon.

"The working draft-substitite bill that we have approved is the version that has the most number of supporters and co-authorships," he noted.

"The Speaker's version which was [HB] No.6771 has obtained the biggest number of co-authorships. Meaning you already assume that these were the ones that were backing up this version," Adiong said.

He said "more than a hundred" House members signified to be co-authors.

The approved version bars political dynasties within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity, effectively prohibiting arrangements such as mayor-and-vice mayor spouses, siblings serving simultaneously as senators, and a father serving as governor while a child serves as a provincial board member in the same province.

In a statement, Dy hailed the committee level-passage of the consolidated anti-political dynasty measure. “For nearly four decades, the Constitution has directed Congress to prohibit political dynasties. Today, we move closer to fulfilling that mandate,” he said.

Dy said the second-degree coverage reflects results of public consultations in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, where stakeholders raised both support and concerns about implementation.

“The second-degree coverage is the product of listening, careful study, and efforts to find common ground. It reflects a balanced approach instituting this long overdue reform; firm enough to give real meaning to the constitutional ban, yet measured enough to ensure fairness and practical implementation,” he noted.

Although the committee sought a second-degree prohibition in the eventual law, it should be noted that HB No.6771--the supposed working draft--originally batted for a hasher fourth-degree ban.

Adiong said the panel made this tweak after they learned that more than 60 percent of the 25 versions of the bill preferred a second-degree ban.

"Not all the sections under the HB No.6771 which is authored by the Speaker has automatically been adopted by the committee. Kasi yung (Because the) original version of the House Speaker [bill] is fourth degree. But since majority of the versions opted for second degree, so yun po yung nakuha natin as part of our substitute bill (that's what we used as part of our substitute bill)," he explained.

Committee member Bukidnon 2nd district Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores--the one who moved for the measure's approval--disagreed with comments that the bill was weak or watered down.

"We should start from the basis here. Ang basis natin ngayon (Our basis right now) is zero definition of what political dynasty is," the lawyer-solon said in the same press conference.

"In one political unit, sabihin natin (let's say) city government, pwedenng mayor, vice mayor, and councilor, are all occupied by person coming from the same family as of now. But in the bill that we passed, only one [family] can occupy one position in that particular political unit.

"So to say that it is a weak version, I would not agree with it. In fact it is the strongest and only version that is existing right now," he said.

The approved bill prohibits spouses and relatives within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity, whether legitimate or illegitimate, full or half-blood, from simultaneously holding certain elective positions.

At the national level, spouses and second-degree relatives are barred from simultaneously holding any national elective position, including President, Vice President and Senator. The prohibition likewise applies within the same provincial government, the same city or municipality, and the same barangay.

If enacted, the prohibition will take effect beginning in the next election and in all subsequent elections.