San Juan, Princess Lian S. 03.14.

2024

ABM 201: UCSP: 01 Activity 2 ARG

Reflection Paper on the Philippine’s Political Dynasty

Political dynasties have long been a prominent feature of the Philippine

political landscape, shaping the country's governance and development
trajectory. These entrenched families wield disproportionate power and
influence, often controlling key positions in our government for generations. The
prevalence of political dynasties raises concerns about the concentration of
power in the hands of a few elite families, limiting opportunities for genuine
democratic representation and hindering socio-economic progress.
Research has shown that political dynasties often prioritize their own
interests over those of the broader population, leading to issues of corruption,
nepotism, and cronyism. Atty Josephus Jimenez published an article sharing his
opinion on Political dynasties late august last year:
“Political dynasties are the new social cancers”
https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/opinion/2023/08/15/2288779/political-dynasties-are-new-social-cancers

“Many LGUs have spouses sitting together as mayors and vice mayors, or
fathers and sons, or mothers and daughters or brothers and sisters. What do
these people think of themselves? Do they think that political leadership can be
inherited like a piece of land? Do they understand the meaning of the word
"delicadeza"?” He starts off. Clearly expressing his disapproval of what the
Philippine’s governance has become due to our political dynasty .

Moving further, he says that “When members of the same family control
all the political and financial decision-making in any local government, be it a
province, city, municipality, or barangay, there is consolidation of power and
thus decisions are monopolized by only one family. That is a virtual monarchy,
aristocracy, and dictatorship which are the exact opposites of democracy. “And
I could not agree enough.

Family ties and loyalty play a crucial role in garnering support and
consolidating power, with family members often succeeding one another in
political positions. This phenomenon not only perpetuates a concentration of
wealth and power but also hinders merit-based leadership and the emergence
of fresh perspectives and ideas in governance. What do we expect to change
when these dynasties wield significant influence and power over everyone,
leveraging their familial ties and resources to maintain their political
dominance? The lack of term limits and the absence of effective mechanisms to
promote political competition just add fuel to the resilience of political dynasties
in the Philippines.

“These are social cancers feeding on other cancers.” His take on the
impact and influence of abused power in our economy. If not because of fear of
harassment from those who are higher than them, crooked entrepreneurs are
joined hand in hand in corruption. The intertwining of political and economic
interests within these dynasties can lead to favoritism, corruption, and
inefficiency in resource allocation. Studies have shown that areas controlled by
political dynasties tend to have lower levels of human development, inadequate
social services, and higher levels of poverty compared to areas with more
diverse political representation. And it is just sad how this can have detrimental
effects on not only our economy but most importantly our people, as resources
may be located, and limit opportunities based on political connections rather
than merit or need.
 “As long as Congress refuses to pass a genuine anti-family dynasty law,
this country will never move forward.” Atty Josephus Jimenez continues.
However, despite efforts to address this issue through legislation, such as the
Anti-Dynasty Bill, the entrenched nature of political dynasties poses a
formidable challenge to democratic governance in the Philippines.

Understanding the dynamics of political dynasties in our country is crucial

for assessing the impact on governance, policymaking, justice, and the overall
development of the country. Are we just going to blindly run around in circles
while corruption blends in? Take a quick glimpse into our history and look,
Political dynasties have dominated our country’s political milieu in most of our
regions since the 1960s. We were either in static motion, or we were in downfall.
Has this not gone around for far too long? Is it not about time our Congress took
the first step in accountability and change? given that they are on top of
dominating political dynasties.