Senator Erwin Tulfo admitted that passing a law against political dynasties remains one of the toughest challenges in Congress, given that many lawmakers themselves belong to powerful political families.
Speaking at the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation hearing on Tuesday, Tulfo questioned former Commission on Elections chair and 1987 Constitution framer Christian Monsod on why the charter left the term “political dynasty” broadly defined.
“My question is, why didn’t the framers think of it? Did you at one point discuss that it should be clearly laid out? For example, that fathers, children, spouses, or even cousins should be prohibited from holding office at the same time. Why wasn’t that done? Now, we are having a hard time applying this law, sir,” Tulfo said in Filipino.
He added that the situation today makes it nearly impossible to move such measures forward. “To be honest, let me be candid, it is very difficult to pass anti-political dynasty bills. How can Congress pass a law against dynasties when so many of its members are related to each other?” he stressed.
Monsod explained that the framers left the matter to Congress, believing that lawmakers would take responsibility in defining the limits of dynastic politics. “We were trusting Congress to do its job,” Monsod said, lamenting that decades later, the implementing law has yet to materialize. He also noted that the problem has worsened due to the lack of “political maturity.”
Tulfo acknowledged that he himself comes from a “family of emerging politicians,” pointing out that his brother Raffy is also a senator, while another sibling, Ben, ran but lost in the 2025 senatorial race. He emphasized, however, that the issue is not about attacking families but about strengthening democratic institutions and ensuring equal opportunity for all Filipinos.
Despite repeated attempts, anti-dynasty bills have never prospered in Congress. Progressive lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc have refiled the measure, while Tulfo and other senators, including Robin Padilla, Ping Lacson, and Kiko Pangilinan, have also filed their own versions—though observers say the road ahead remains steep.
