Political dynasty is not bad, says Duterte

Published on: Monday 08 November 2021

By: GMA News

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SIARGAO ISLAND: The prevalence of a political dynasty is “not bad,” President Rodrigo Duterte said on Saturday, stressing that it would not be eradicated unless the 1987 Constitution is changed and Filipino culture is changed. Duterte said the proposal to ban political dynasties in the country will never be accepted, citing the existence of families currently holding elected positions. “The provision of the constitution on political dynasty will never pass no matter how hard they try,” Duterte said at the inauguration of the infrastructure projects in Dapa, Siargao Island.

The 17th Congress rejected the proposal of the Interagency Task Force on Federalism and Constitutional Reforms on the 1987 Constitution to include the prohibition of political dynasties in the proposed revisions to the 1987 Constitution, calling it ” anti-democratic. There are also a number of political anti-dynasty bills introduced in the 18th Congress that remain pending at the committee level. Duterte, whose three children also hold government positions, said the anti-dynasty proposal “will never pass.” “If you turn it into a constituent assembly and allow Congress to, well, initiate changes in a constitution, di gyud na mulusot not because we don’t want it or we want it pero ang mga tao, in my experience , bisa’g asa ka man diri daghan kaayo (it will never pass not because we don’t want it or want it but people, in my experience, no matter where you are, there is has so many [who will oppose that]),” he said.

Duterte said there would be no outright ban on political dynasties, “unless you change the big picture, unless you change the Constitution, unless you change the culture” . “But if we stay like this, we will have dynasties. And dynasties are not bad,” he said. Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, and Davao City Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte followed in the president’s political footsteps. Duterte said the only problem with political dynasties is that some families are involved in illegal acts, such as drug trafficking.

“The problem with dynasties is that if the family that runs the city monopolizes the business, kills its enemies, and then later in some areas it is the mayors themselves who would run the drug trade. But there is no There’s nothing like it here,” he said.
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