“Political dynasties run our government. They run the country. They are in almost complete control of our government,” lawyer and author Alex Lacson said on Saturday, April 12.
Lacson was one of the speakers at the Anti-Corruption Awareness Symposium organized by the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) and the Alyansa ng Nagkakaisang Mamamayan (ANIM) at the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City.
“The single biggest obstacle in the Philippines that prevents our political and economic systems from becoming inclusive are the political dynasties,” he said.
Lacson said “the Philippine Congress is controlled by the dynasties, both the Senate and the Lower House. Over 80 percent of their members come from dynasties”.
The local government units are also dominated by dynasties – 87 percent of the governors and 76 percent of the city and municipal mayors in the country, he said.
Many of the Cabinet secretaries come from political dynasties, he added, citing Finance Secretary Ralph Recto, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, DILG Seretary Jonvic Remulla, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Presidential Chief Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile, among others.
“The national budget and the local budgets are controlled by the dynasties. In Congress, it is the dynasties who prepare and approve the national budget. In the LGUs, the local budgets are planned, approved, and implemented by the mayors and governors, most of whom are dynasties,” he added.
The development plans at the national and local levels, infrastructure projects, and appointments in the LGUs are controlled by the dynasties, Lacson also said.
On the national level the dynasties who supported the president and vice president can get their relatives and loyal people appointed to national positions, he said.
“As you can see, what we have today is a government by the dynasties, of the dynasties, and for the dynasties,” Lacson said.
The proliferation of political dynasties is one of the biggest failures of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, he said.
Lacson lauded the BCBP for actively promoting honesty and integrity in the government and in their business and professional lives.
The other speakers at the symposium were former Negros Occidental governor Rafael Coscolluela, budget tracker Zy-Za Suzara and Mayor Joseph Rañola of Jagna, Bohol.*