Leody de Guzman proposes banning political dynasties via people's initiative

Partido Lakas ng Masa (PLM) senatorial candidate Leody de Guzman on Friday called for a people's initiative to ban political dynasties in the country.

During the TinigLaya Senatorial Press Conference held at San Beda College Alabang, De Guzman said that the Senate and House of Representatives have had difficulty passing legislation against political dynasties as mandated by the 1987 Constitution since some of them are members of such families.

For this reason, De Guzman said that a people's initiative would be a preferable way to enforce the ban.

“Pagka diyan pa natin iasa sa Kongreso at Senado ang pagkakaroon ng batas para ipagbawal ang political dynasty, hindi na mangyayari. Kaya ang kinakailangan ay 'yong isang paraan ng paggawa ng batas [sa pamamagitan ng] people's initiative. 'Yon ang kailangan isulong, na makapirma tayo ng 3% ng voting population ng buong bansa… para magkaroon ng sariling batas na hindi dadaan sa Kongreso at Senado pagbabawal sa political dynasty,” he said.

(If we depend on the House of Representatives and the Senate to enact a law to prohibit political dynasties, it won’t happen anymore. That is why we need to find a way to make a law through a people’s initiative. That is what we need to pass, to gather signatures from 3% of the voting population within the country… for us to have a law against political dynasties that would not pass through the House of Representatives and the Senate.)

Under the 1987 Constitution, any amendment to or revision may be proposed through a people’s initiative upon a petition of at least 12% of the total number of registered voters, of which every legislative district must be represented by at least 3% of the registered voters in that area.

Regarding other issues, De Guzman said that he supports a national minimum wage as an alternative to the existing system in which the amount is established by regional wage boards.

He also reiterated his opposition to labor contractualization..

The senatorial candidate also called for the removal of Vice President Sara Duterte for alleged misuse of funds.

However, De Guzman said the Senate, which will serve as an impeachment court, lacked “bones” to hold the Vice President accountable.

“Dapat ma-impeach 'yan para hindi na [magaya] ng mga susunod pa, na magkaroon ng halimbawa na itong mga gumagawa ng ganitong kalokohan sa pera ng pinaghirapan ng bayan ay dapat managot, hindi makalagpas. Ang problema rito, ang Senado nawalan ng bones... biglang pumihit,” he said.

(She should be impeached so she would not be [copied] by her successors, so there would be an example that the person who did this blunder with the citizens’ money should be held accountable and cannot escape. The problem is that the Senate lost their bones… they turn around.)

“Hindi ko alam kung ano nangyari at dapat 'yan magkaroon na ng may convene na 'yong court na mag-iimbestiga, at pwede naman kahit naka-recess sila ay gumulong ang investigation. Ang target yata mawala na 'yong momentum tapos dumating ang bagong Senado. Mag-iiba-iba na 'yan. Makakalusot na si Sara,” he added.

(I don’t know what happened, and the court should be convened to begin investigating, and that would be possible even during their recess. Their target must be to lose the momentum and wait for the new Senate. Then there will be so many changes, and Sara can escape accountability.)

De Guzman also declared that he is both “anti-Sara” and “anti-Marcos” and that the Philippines should return to the International Criminal Court.

“Hindi lang ako ‘Anti-Sara,’ ako ay ‘Anti-Marcos’ din. [Ako ay] anti-dynasty, anti trapong mga pulitikong sinungaling, dahil silang lahat ang gumawa ng lahat ng kalapastanganan sa mga manggagawa, sa mga mamamayan, sa mga mahihirap… Lahat ng pahirap, lahat ng batas ay ginawa para pahirapan ang mga tao, naging legal. Naging legal ang paghihirap ng ating mga mamamayan at naging legal din ang pagkakamal ng yaman ng iilan,” he said.

(I’m not just ‘anti-Sara’; I am also ‘anti-Marcos,’. [I am] anti-dynasty, and anti-lying politicians because they are the ones who did all these atrocities to our laborers, citizens, and the impoverished… All the hardships, all the laws that were done to make people suffer, became legal. It became legal for our citizens to suffer, and it also became legal for some to amass enormous wealth.) — Jiselle Anne Casucian/VBL, GMA Integrated News

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