By MARIO CASAYURAN
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian has expressed doubts on the passage of an anti-political dynasty bill when Congress resumes regular session on April 16.
Gatchalian based his assessment on the fact that 70 percent of congressmen in the House of Representatives are members of political dynasties.
‘’Dapat nating tandaan na bicam tayo. Kahit pumasa ito sa Senado kung di papasa sa Lower House, wala rin mangyari,’’ he said.
Gatchalian was a former congressman representing Valenzuela city.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III has expressed optimism that country has a better chance of having a new law that would ban political dynasties after 13 senators have signed a committee report on Senate Bill 1765 that would eliminate political dynasties.
The Senate bill defines a political dynasty as the ‘’concentration, consolidation and/or perpetuation of public office and political powers by persons related to one another within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity.’’
Sen. Francis Pangilinan, chairman of the Senate constitutional amendments committee that drafted the committee report, said ‘’this covers spouses (legal and common-law), siblings (full or half-blood), parents and children (legitimate, illegitimate and adopted) and the spouses of these second-degee relatives.’’