On the Question of Political Dynasty

"The exploiters inevitably transform the state (and we are speaking of democracy, i.e., one of the forms of the state) into an instrument of the rule of their class, the exploiters, over the exploited. Hence, as long as there are exploiters who rule the majority, the exploited, the democratic state must inevitably be a democracy for the exploiters... Another truth: there can be no real, actual equality until all possibility of the exploitation of one class by another has been totally destroyed." 

 - Vladimir Lenin, Political Equality (1918)

Under Sec. 26, Article II of the 1987 Constitution Political Dynasty is prohibited in Philippine Politics but the said provision does not give the definition of Political Dynasty thus leaving the room for ambiguity in the confused-minds of the people. Recently, there arouse a case in Supreme court where Justice Antonio Carpio defined the Political Dynasty in Navarro Vs Ermita (GR NO. 180050; April 12, 2011) "as a phenomenon that concentrates political power and public resources within the control of few families whose members alternately hold elective offices deftly skirting term limits". It is normal for this present political system for politician's son, kinsmen, or belonging to the same family to run for office. 

It became a traditional or customary norms in political arenas to follow the same step in electoral process. More so, it is endowed to every family elite for an opportunity to pass to the loophole of present exploitative system to be the stepping stone to oppress the very vast majority of deprived Filipinos. Political Dynasty is equivalent to oligarchy as coined in political science wherein few notable elite s control the country's political and economic - the worst is that they can even more maneuver the political attitude of the Filipinos through the use of media diverting the national issues to their phony stuffs in substituting non-sense stories of their family - this what we call media politics. No wonder our present President Benigno Simeon "NoyNoy" Aquino III came from a political family, his late grandfather then is a politician, his father, mother et.al. 

Today as this political dynasty continues a notable example is his niece Paolo "Bam" Aquino who is running for Senator; Koko Pimentel, Sonny Angara, Ramon Magsaysay, Jack Enrile, the Estradas,  and almost majority running for a senate seat, and a vast majority of congressmen in the congress also come from a political family in their respective districts. Now as we are witnessing their campaigns we also witness their tricks and disguise to mislead again the Filipinos. Morever, what politicians answer to this is: this is a democratic country and nobody could stop us from running for certain position except if we are  disqualified by law, and it is not our fault to be elected again since the people voted for us. 

Perhaps, they are correct. But, by that answer, it is logical to conclude that the fault should be placed upon the Filipino voters. They don't even admit that the failure of this country is most upon their sides as politicians who are responsible to run the country and accountable for their positions. For how many times that this country ruled by the same family (elite) politicians but still a very little changes that has been done. Some of those politicians come from prestigious and best universities yet this country remains poor.

Pideral Solution 

Are we to end the Political Dynasty? The question of prevailing political dynasty does not necessarily mean the fault of the people. But it is caused by the default of the political system and the politicians who are behind this.  There is nothing a solution to this but a change of system. By that I mean that we must change our present unitary system into decentralized federal system. But in what manner can we overcome political dynasty?

 First, we will have a transformation of local government units to a local state or Regional state wherein they will be given a full autonomy in terms of their political, economic and judicial aspects as to give them an opportunity to manage their own political affairs, resources, or community. 

Second, by federal states with a self-governing institutions which means that the state acquired a sovereign jurisdiction to control its political affairs by making their own congress, constitution and judicial branches. 

Third, same as to the equal representation to both state congress and senate. Wherein the Pideral States shall elect their own senators for the national senate representation. No more national elections for senators as we have right now. The registered voters of the state shall elect their own senators. Now the question may arise: how can we assure that the state shall not be ruled by the same family politicians that would consequently turn into political dynasty?

 This question is only prevalent in a unitary political system with a national election for senators. As noted earlier that in Pideral each senator will be elected from their own respective states. The only reason why we cannot fully develop the LGU's is that the lack for the devolution of power. That divulging the complete powers from national down to states but residual powers remains to the national government.