ILOILO – The Garin clan is throwing full support behind the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill filed by House Speaker Faustino “Bodjie” Dy III and Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos.
According to Iloilo 1st District’s Cong. Janette Garin, the measure, though “imperfect,” is a necessary response to mounting public demand for political reform.
“It is not perfect. Some people expect a total ban, which is difficult, and we go back to the real definition of anti-dynasty. If we insist on a definition not acceptable to many, then the bill goes nowhere. That is why I came out and decided to support Speaker Dy’s version,” she said.
Asked if she was also speaking for the whole Garin clan, she answered in the affirmative.
Cong. Garin said the renewed push for an anti-dynasty measure reflects changing political realities and growing public intolerance for perceived abuses of power, even among officials who themselves come from political families.
“Times are changing. And admittedly, abuses have happened in some aspects,” she said. “Speaker Dy is also affected because he comes from a political dynasty too. But there are bullets that we have to swallow because the people are asking us to listen. We must listen because their voice is the power that put us in office.”
Cong. Garin also addressed questions on why the bill has been prioritized by the House but not certified as urgent by Malacañang, saying critics often misunderstand legislative procedures.
“When you say ‘certified urgent’, the only difference is that the three-session-day rule between second and third reading is removed. It does not make a big difference. The point is, it is prioritized — and that already means something significant,” she explained.
Garin further linked the call for political reform to controversies surrounding flood control projects in past administrations, arguing that these exposed weaknesses in the party-list system and how it has allegedly been used as an entry point for private business interests.
She added that the numerical strength of party-list blocs has at times constrained House leadership.
“You know they hold bloc votes — 63 or 64,” Garin said. “So if the Speaker says, ‘This is the law we want to stop,’ it becomes a negotiation. Sometimes the leadership of the House is held hostage by the party-list coalition. That is the real problem.”
Despite the bill’s limitations and continuing criticism, Garin said the current political alignment in Congress and the public’s clamor for transparency make the passage of an anti-dynasty law achievable.
“What matters is we start somewhere,” she said. “And this bill is a necessary beginning.”/PN
