Carpio will seek SC help if Congress passes House's anti-political dynasty bill - GMA Network

Retired Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on Thursday said they will seek recourse from the High Court should Congress pass the controversial anti-political dynasty bill principally authored by Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III and House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos.

Carpio said the bill, which bans relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity from running for or occupying a post in the same constituency or jurisdiction, only legitimizes political dynasties.

“Kapag pinasa nila itong Speaker (Dy)-Sandro Marcos’ bill na inapprove na ng House, di ba? Hindi kami sang-ayon diyan sa bill na ‘yan, we will go to the SC and say, hindi ito anti-political dynasty law,” he said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(If they pass this Speaker (Dy)-Sandro Marcos’ bill that was already approved by the House, right? We do not agree with that bill; we will go to the SC and say, this is not an anti-political dynasty law.)

“This is a political dynasty legitimization and entrenchment law,” he added.

The SC has directed Congress to enact an anti-political dynasty law at the earliest opportunity, saying its failure to do so for 39 years constitutes grave abuse of discretion.

The SC, however, is leaving it to Congress to define what constitutes a political dynasty and determine the scope of the prohibition.

In June, the House of Representatives passed on third and final reading an anti-political dynasty bill that would ban relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity from running for or occupying a post in the same constituency or jurisdiction.

According to Carpio, they will mount a people’s initiative to enact a “genuine anti-political dynasty law.”

“We do not agree with the Marcos bill passed by the House,” he said. —AOL, GMA News