Senior Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen cited the Duterte and Romualdez families as examples of “fat” political dynasties, saying political families have expanded their influence by simultaneously occupying multiple government positions, including party-list seats intended to represent marginalized sectors.
In his concurring opinion on the SC’s ruling ordering Congress to fulfill its constitutional duty to enact an anti-political dynasty law, Leonen said political dynasties have become “widespread, concentrated, multi-positional, and flexible.”
“Political families hold executive, legislative, and sometimes party-list seats simultaneously; use overlapping offices to preserve influence; and shift across institutional channels when one route narrows,” Leonen said.
Leonen explained that “vertical” or “thin” dynasties involve relatives succeeding one another in the same political post, while “horizontal” or “fat” dynasties involve members of the same clan simultaneously occupying several government positions.
“Where at least five clan members are politically active, such a ‘fat’ dynasty may be described as ‘obese,’” he said.
Leonen described the Dutertes as a clear example of a thin dynasty in Davao City by citing the succession of former President Rodrigo Duterte, Vice President Sara Duterte and Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte in the city mayoralty.
He also cited the family as an example of a “fat” dynasty.
In 2022, Leonen noted, Sara Duterte was vice president, Paolo Duterte was representative of Davao City’s first district, Rodrigo Duterte was Davao City mayor, and Sebastian Duterte was vice mayor.
Leonen also cited the Romualdez family as another example of a “fat” dynasty.
At the opening of the 19th Congress, Martin Romualdez became House speaker while his wife, Yedda Romualdez, served as TINGOG party-list representative.
By the opening of the 20th Congress, Leonen noted that Martin Romualdez, Yedda Romualdez and their son Andrew Julian Romualdez were all in public office.
He also cited the family’s presence in Tacloban City, where Martin Romualdez’s son Ferdinand Martin “Marty” Romualdez Jr. became a city councilor, while his cousin Alfred Romualdez was reelected mayor and Alfred’s son Raymund Romualdez was elected vice mayor.
Leonen said political dynasties could affect electoral competition, accountability and access to public service.
“The constitutional prohibition against political dynasties is not merely symbolic or accidental,” he said.
“It was designed to address the concentration and perpetuation of political power in the hands of a few entrenched families, and to widen meaningful access to public service for others outside such familial networks,” Leonen added.
He said each year of legislative inaction allows political inequalities, patronage and other problems associated with concentrated political power to persist.
In a unanimous decision penned by Associate Justice Ramon Paul L. Hernando, the SC earlier declared that Congress committed grave abuse of discretion by failing for 39 years to enact a law prohibiting political dynasties as required under Article II, Section 26 of the Constitution.
The Court directed Congress to comply with its mandatory constitutional duty to enact an anti-political dynasty law at the earliest opportunity.
Leonen agreed with the ruling, saying Congress’ prolonged failure to act on the constitutional mandate constituted a continuing breach of its duty.
“The breach, therefore, lies in Congress’s continuing failure to do what the Constitution expressly requires,” Leonen said.
He added that the Constitution should “frame our politics, not politics of the few constraining our Constitution.”
The Court, however, stressed that Congress remains free to determine how political dynasties will be defined and prohibited because the Constitution leaves the definition and scope of the ban to legislation.#