The proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Law, as spelled out in House Bill (HB) No. 8389, could reshape the Senate as we know it "180 degrees".

Thus, said Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms Chairman Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong during the first day of House plenary debates on the contentious measure on Tuesday, March 17.

During the debates, Adiong, the sponsor of HB No.8389, was asked how the measure would affect the composition of the other legislative chamber, the Senate.

“Directly with this bill, it would change 180 degrees the set-up in the Senate,” Adiong told the interpellator at that time, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno.

Adiong said of the proposed statute, “Definitely it will directly affect the current set-up in the Senate right now. There are four sets of siblings serving under this current Congress.”

“Once this bill would pass, they’re very much directly affected because they’re within the second degree of consanguinity and affinity. Definitely there will be impact on the national level,” reckoned the sponsor.

But Adiong was very mindful of decorum in that he didn't specify who these siblings were.

The bill, which is expected to be approved on second reading during plenary session Wednesday, March 19, implements the Constitution’s ban on political dynasties by prohibiting relatives within the second degree from running for or holding posts in the same locality. It

Diokno asked about the bill’s potential impact on political dynasties dominating national positions.

Adiong said weakening political families at the local level would inevitably affect national races, particularly by reducing so-called “captive votes” delivered to candidates.

He added that this could diminish the vote base of candidates running for president, vice president, and the Senate, which has 24 members.

Diokno also raised a scenario wherein a senator whose spouse sought a seat in the 300-plus member House of Representatives.

Adiong clarified that the bill does not bar relatives from running for office. He also repeatedly mentioined--like he did during the course of the committee-level discussions--that it's the voters who ultimately determine who wins and loses in an election.