Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan reiterated his position that the country’s next chief executive should not come from an entrenched political family, renewing his appeal for lawmakers to finally act on long-stalled anti-dynasty legislation.
He anchored the call on long-running poverty patterns, pointing to official and independent research showing that regions dominated by political clans also register the most severe deprivation. Figures compiled by the Philippine Statistics Authority and the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism indicate that the 10 regions with the highest poverty incidence are largely governed by families that have held power for generations.
Among them is the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which recorded the country’s highest poverty rate in 2021 at 37.2 percent and where every province is led by a political clan. Similar governance patterns appear in Caraga, Zamboanga Peninsula, Bicol, and Eastern Visayas—areas where poverty levels remain above the national average.
Research from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies has also warned that dynastic control can erode institutional safeguards, limiting competition and making it harder for reform-oriented leaders to gain ground.
“This is the time to prove that we are serious about wanting the country to be a success. That the next President will not belong to a political dynasty,” Pangilinan said in a statement. “Because if there are no political dynasties, there will be no poverty. The people are watching, and further postponement will not be sold.”
Momentum for the measure gained visibility in December 2025, when President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. instructed Congress, through the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, to treat the Anti-Dynasty Bill as a priority item.
“There is no longer any excuse to slip through the continuous delay of the law. It needs to be acted upon now,” Pangilinan said, referring to the directive.
He also urged Senate leaders to immediately convene hearings on pending proposals filed by himself and fellow senators Risa Hontiveros, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Robinhood Padilla, Bam Aquino, and JV Ejercito.
“On 2 February, the 1987 Constitution will turn 39 years old. But for almost four decades, its clear mandate to ban political dynasties has been ignored,” he said.
