Church and academic institutions urged Congress to pass a genuine anti-political dynasty law, warning that entrenched family rule continues to weaken democratic governance and deepen inequality nationwide.
The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines, Simbahang Lingkod ng Bayan, the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Catholic Education, and Caritas Philippines issued the call in a joint quadripartite statement.
In their statement, the four institutions said the 1987 Constitution’s mandate prohibiting political dynasties remains unfulfilled nearly four decades after its ratification.
“We have lived long enough under a democracy that repeatedly postpones its promise,” the groups said.
“The 1987 Constitution clearly mandates the prohibition of political dynasties, yet nearly four decades later, silence and inaction have allowed these formations to grow unchecked, like vines entwining the beams of our institutions,” the statement read.
Citing 2025 data from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, the coalition reported that “212 of 254 (83.4%) congressional districts are under political dynasties, 70.4% under ‘fat dynasties.’”
The groups added that these patterns “are not abstract.”
“They correlate with entrenched poverty, fragile governance, and the erosion of equality. It is no longer just a constitutional delay but a slow unmaking of the common good,” the groups said.
