Authors of SK reform law tussle on Bongbong role in anti-dynasty provision

Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong Marcos Jr.'s statement on his role on the inclusion on an anti-dynasty provision in the Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Law drew contrasting reactions from lawmakers that pushed for the measure.

During the vice presidential leg of PiliPinas Debate 2016 Sunday, Marcos said: “Ako lamang ang nakaharap dito sa inyo ang sumulat ng isang probisyon ng anti-dynasty sa kaisa-isang batas na napasa na may anti-dynasty provision. Iyan po, wala na pong kailangan ipaliwanag.”

Daang Matuwid spokesperson and Akbayan Rep Barry Gutierrez released a statement saying it was Sen. Bam Aquino and not Marcos who did the heavy lifting for the bill.

“For the record, Cong. Leni [Robredo] and I were among those in the House who pushed for the SK Reform Law that included an anti-dynasty provision. To my knowledge, our counterpart in the Senate was Sen. Bam Aquino, not Sen. Bongbong Marcos. I did not see him in any meeting, including the bicameral conference that approved the bill,” Gutierrez said

But Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, one of the authors of the Senate version of the billm backed Marcos' claim in an interview with GMA News Online.

Ejercito said it was his version of the SK reform bill that contained the anti-political dynasty provision.

A provision on Ejercito’s Senate Bill 68 states that SK officials “must not have any relative in elective public office within the third degree of consanguinity or affinity.”

Aquino, the chairman of the Senate committee on youth, confirmed Ejercito's statement.

"It was Sen. Ejercito that initially suggested the provision. And a number of us supported this," he said in a text message to GMA News Online.

Ejercito said Marcos, the chairman of the Senate local government committee, supported the provision and ensured it made the consolidated version of the measure.

“I’m not defending him but to be fair he was the one who fought for it. He supported the idea from the very start and the consolidated bill included the said provision, which as a chair, he sponsored,” Ejercito said.

“Unfair naman dahil ang binabanggit nila yung kapartido lang nila. It was a joint effort, lahat kami nagtrabaho. We all did our share,” he added.

He said Marcos could have been absent in the bicameral meetings but he was instrumental in the crafting of the bill. Marcos sponsored the SK Reform Bill in the Senate plenary in November 2015.

Ejercito also said it was Marcos who pressured the House of Representatives to pass the bill.

“The House was not that keen to pass the SK Reform Bill but Senator Marcos told the House contingent na kundi hindi ipapasa yan, we will go back to the old law e palpak nga yung lumang batas,” Ejercito said.

“He was the one who really pushed for it. I know it because I’m one of the authors. Joint effort namin yan, we all worked hard for it,” he added.

SK Reform Act

The SK Reform Act or RA 10742 is the SK law that contains an anti-political dynasty provision.

RA 10742 emanated from Senate Bill 2401 and House Bill 6043. Both the Senate and House versions contain an anti-political dynasty provision.

Senate Bill 2401 is the consolidated version of Ejercito's Senate Bill 68, which had an anti-political dynasty provision and Aquino's Senate Bill 1090 (which didn't have an anti-political dynasty provision).

As chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government, Marcos submitted the committee report recommending the consolidation of SB 68 and SB 1090 into SB 2401. Joining Marcos in submitting the committee report and sharing authorship credit for SB 2401 are senator and VP candidate Chiz Escudero (chair of the Senate Committee on Finance); Ejercito (who authored SB 68); Aquino (Senate Committee on Youth chair and author of SB 1090); and Sen. Koko Pimentel (chair, Committee on Electoral Reforms and People's Participation).

Meanwhile, HB 6043 is the consolidated version of several bills. One of those bills is HB 109, which was co-authored by Camarines Sur congresswoman and VP candidate Leni Robredo. HB 109 has an anti-political dynasty provision.

Robredo is also recognized as a co-author of HB 6043. —JST, GMA News