Supreme Court cannot compel Congress to enact law against political dynasties, says Escudero

April 5, 2025 , 07:48 PM

By Clarist Mae Zablan

(April 5, 2025) – The Supreme Court has already ruled that it cannot compel Congress to enact a law against political dynasties, maintained Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero.

This came after several civic groups and concerned citizens filed a petition on the issue.

The Supreme Court has said that Congress cannot be forced by a mandamus from the court to pass a law. The legislative process is a political question,” said Escudero in a media briefing on Friday, as quoted in a report from Philstar.com.

Constitution framer Atty. Christian Monsod and former Supreme Court justices Conchita Carpio-Morales and Antonio Carpio filed a petition for certiorari and mandamus before the high court earlier this week.

They claimed that Congress “effectively and unlawfully rewritten the Constitution” when it refused to pass an anti-dynasty law, stressing that the 1987 Constitution prohibits political dynasties and mandates Congress to define them by law.

“By failing to define ‘political dynasties,’ Congress has not merely neglected its duty—it has actively undermined the very foundation of democratic representation, entrenching political monopolies, perpetuating systemic inequality, and plunging deeper in a negative escalating degree the abject poverty of our people,” stated the petition.

Based on a study in 2022, almost 80% of the members of Congress and more than half of local government officials hail from political families.

In October, Escudero admitted that he is a “product” of a political dynasty, which was started by his father, former Sorsogon representative Salvador Escudero III.

Still, he said he won’t block any measure seeking to put an end to political dynasties.

“Kung kailangan ng boto ko para mapasa ‘yan, boboto ako dahil laban naman ‘yun sa interes ko. (Kapag) makikialam ako sa pagbalangkas niyan ay klarong kasong conflict of interest, rason para hindi ko panghimasukan maliban na lamang kung ang boto ko ay kinakailangan para maipasa ‘yan,” said Escudero in a media conference.

In the 19th Congress, two bills have been filed in the Senate and two more in the House of Representatives wanting to define political dynasties but all have languished at the committee level.

(PM)

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