Luke Espiritu, Vic Rodriguez favor law vs political dynasties

Senatorial aspirants lawyers Luke Espiritu and Vic Rodriguez aired their support for a measure that would prohibit political dynasties in the Philippines.

During the “Tanong ng Bayan: The GMA Senatorial Face Off 2025,” Espiritu, who heads the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, said he would prioritize passing an anti-political dynasty law, as he believed it is a matter of “national survival.”

“Sa dynasties na ‘yan, diyan nagiging source ng corruption, electoral fraud, patayan doon sa mga local areas,” said Espiritu.

(Political dynasties are a source of corruption, electoral fraud, and killing in local areas.)

“We must pass an anti-dynasty law, and I will use my position as a labor leader, a mass movement leader, in order to mobilize the masses to also support that legislation,” he added.

In response, Rodriguez, who previously served as executive secretary of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., said there should be a “basic agreement” first on what a political dynasty is “because there are good and bad political dynasties.”

“Sang-ayon ako doon na isabatas na natin (I agree that we should pass a law). Subalit, ‘yun nga (However), we have to come into a basic agreement. What constitutes a political dynasty? We have to define first what is a political dynasty,” he said.

Section 26, Article II of the 1987 Constitution provides that “the state shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.”

Should he be elected senator, Rodriguez also vowed to lower the threshold amount and push for the death penalty for plunderers.

“And bilang isang maisug at tunay na oposisyon, aking isinusulong na ma-amyendahan ‘yung plunder law. Ibaba natin ‘yung threshold nito from P50 [million] to P1 million at ‘pag naibalik ko ‘yan bilang senador ninyo, aking ipapanukala ang pagbabalik ng death penalty para hindi na ipamana ng mga pamilya ‘yung kanilang mga pwesto sa kanilang mga anak,” he said.

(As a true opposition, I will push for the plunder law to be amended. Let's lower its threshold from P50 million to P1 million. And if I become a senator, I will propose the return of the death penalty so that families would no longer be able to bequeath their seats to their children.)

However, Espiritu expressed opposition to Rodriguez’s proposal to revive the death penalty and lower the threshold amount for plunder.

“Imagine mo, ibababa mo sa P5 million, tapos idi-death penalty mo. Sino ma-de-death penalty niyan? Hindi si mayor, hindi si congressman, hindi ang mga dynasty, kundi ‘yung simpleng bagman na may 5 million na share. Mga mahihirap lang ang magsasuffer sa death penalty,” the labor leader said.

(Imagine lowering the threshold to P5 million and imposing the death penalty. Who will suffer? Not the mayor, not the congressman, not the ones belonging to dynasties, but those ordinary people who had a share of the P5 million. Only the poor will suffer from the death penalty.)

Espiritu had declared his opposition to political dynasties during the filing of his certificate of candidacy.— VBL, GMA Integrated News

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