Insider Spotlight
In a joint statement dated Feb. 12, 2026, the groups — led by the Management Association of the Philippines — said that should lawmakers continue to delay or dilute reform, they will “call on the public to exercise their constitutional right to enact legislation through a People’s Initiative,” citing the Philippine Identification System as a secure digital platform to authenticate voter identity.
Why it matters
The move signals escalating frustration from influential business and professional organizations, which are increasingly framing political reform as essential to economic fairness and long-term growth.
The coalition warned that more than three decades since the 1987 Constitution mandated action against political dynasties, Congress has yet to enact an effective enabling law.
Instead, they argued, House Bill No. 6771 in its current form undermines reform.
Between the lines
While acknowledging the existence of HB 6771, the coalition said it “permits succession, switching, substitution, and rotation among relatives,” enabling families to retain control of elective posts across levels of government and election cycles.
“In reality, HB 6771 is a pro-dynasty measure,” the statement said.
The groups stressed that political dynasties are “not merely a question of family participation in politics; they are an institutional problem,” adding that “Public office is not a family inheritance—it is a public trust bestowed by the people and exercised for the common good.”
They also warned that dynastic control often extends beyond public office into local economies through franchises, personal businesses and the favored granting of permits, tightening control over both political and economic life.
What they want
The coalition is pushing for clear prohibitions on relatives within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity from running for or simultaneously or consecutively holding elective office, with limited exceptions consistent with a “one local, one national” representation principle.
They also seek an explicit ban on substitution, rotation and position-switching among prohibited relatives, as well as a mandatory cooling-off period equivalent to one full electoral cycle for term-limited officials and their relatives.
“Ultimately, the battle against political dynasties is a battle against corruption itself,” the statement read. “Merit, not lineage, must determine who serves the Filipino people.” —Daxim L. Lucas |Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
Listed below are the signatory organizations to the letter sent out on Thursday afternoon by the Management Association of the Philippines:
