Duterte nods to political dynasty ban, doubts Congress approval

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte shows a copy of his prepared speech as he delivers his keynote address during the 2018 General Assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) at the Manila Hotel in the City of Manila on March 20, 2018. REY BANIQUET/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

The President gave his nod to the notion of abolishing political dynasty in the country through Charter change (Cha-cha), but followed that others might disagree to it.

“A few of the principled men, I would say, want this kind of thing about dynasty abolished. I am for it. Ang problema, lulusot ba ‘yan (The only problem is, will it pass?)” President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said during his speech at the General Assembly of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) on March 20.

“Because sa atin, pagkatapos mo (here, when your term is done), they would ask for your son or your wife,” Duterte, whose clan has ruled Davao for decades, added.

The President stressed that it was the Davaoeños who wanted someone to continue what he started.

“Ano ba talagang nagawa ko (What did I really accomplish)? Why is it so peaceful, so clean? Drugs is minimal and the law and order is very good.

It took me about three terms really to perfect the system,” he said.

Duterte served as one of the mayors with longest government service, serving from 1988-1998, 2001-2010, and 2013-2016 before becoming the President.

When Duterte assumed the presidential post after winning the elections in 2016, his daughter Sarah Duterte succeeded him as Davao City mayor. This is, however, not Sarah Duterte’s first term as mayor, since she was the city’s mayor in 2010 until 2013, with her father serving as Vice Mayor.

The President’s son, Paolo Duterte, also sat as Vice Mayor of the city but resigned from his post. Not a stranger to local governance, Paolo Duterte also served as his father’s Vice Mayor during the latter’s last term as mayor before becoming the Chief Executive.

The Consultative Committee (Con-Com) formed by Duterte to review the proposals of amendment and revisions to the 1987 Constitution to pave way for federalism is headed by former Chief Justice Reynato Puno.

Puno earlier expressed his view that political dynasty must be neutralized before a shift to federalism.

“That will be a very lethal experiment,” he said in an interview with ANC in late January. “These states will be given the power to make their laws, execute their laws, interpret their laws, and that should be in the hands of political dynasties.”

(Read: Ex-CJ warns on ‘rushed’ federalism: a ‘lethal experiment’)

However, on March 12, the Con-Com decided not to entirely ban political dynasty in the Constitution draft but regulate it.

(Read: ConCom body decides to regulate not ban political dynasty)