‘WHY NOT?’: Debuque open to stepping down if dynasty bill passes

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan and Francis Allan L. Angelo

Iloilo Vice Governor Nathalie Ann Debuque on Monday, Dec. 15, said she would be willing to step aside if an anti-political dynasty law is enacted.

Speaking to reporters after the provincial government’s flag ceremony, Debuque said that if such a law is passed, her family members serving at the provincial level would meet to decide who would remain in office.

The vice governor was succeeded this year as Anilao town mayor by her mother, Ma. Theresa Formacion-Debuque. Her sister, Amalia Victoria Debuque, currently sits on the Sangguniang Panlalawigan as the provincial president of the Liga ng mga Barangay.

Another relative, Lyka Joy Debuque-Gelle, is serving as Anilao’s vice mayor.

“[Amalia] and I will just choose which one of us will stay [in the provincial government]. We don’t have a problem with that,” the vice governor said. “It is important for us that we understand we come from a political family.”

“We were made to understand by our parents [that our positions] are not an inheritance. […] We are working hard because of the people. It is a great privilege for my sister and me to serve on the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. Still, we can say that whatever responsibilities we are given in the province of Iloilo, we pay back with good service,” she added.

Following Marcos Jr.

Iloilo 4th District Rep. Ferjenel Biron said he would support the proposed anti-dynasty law, citing his role as deputy speaker and his obligation to support President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s priority legislation.

Biron was Marcos Jr.’s provincial campaign manager during the 2022 presidential election.

On Friday, the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) announced that the anti-dynasty bill is among four measures included in its Common Legislative Agenda for the 20th Congress.

“Since I’m part of the leadership of the House, I have to support all priority measures of [Marcos Jr.], including the anti-dynasty bill, mindful that we have yet to define political dynasty,” Biron told a media organization via text message.

Biron also comes from a political family. His sons, Bryant Paul and Braeden John, are mayors of Barotac Nuevo and Dumangas, respectively, while his brother, Hernan Biron Jr., serves as Barotac Nuevo’s vice mayor.

Genuine anti-political dynasty law

Meanwhile, the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) expressed support for the prioritization of a genuine Anti-Political Dynasty Act, calling on Congress to enact meaningful reforms that curb entrenched political families and strengthen democratic accountability.

In a media release dated Dec. 15, 2025, NAMFREL said it backs four proposed legislative measures recently highlighted by lawmakers, including an Anti-Political Dynasty Act.

NAMFREL submitted its recommendations to the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms on Nov. 10, 2025, outlining a comprehensive electoral reform legislative agenda for the 20th Congress.

The group identified 12 priority legislative measures in its proposal, with anti-political dynasty reform listed as a central component.

NAMFREL said an Anti-Political Dynasty Act should prohibit relatives within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity from simultaneously holding elective positions within the same province or city.

It also proposed barring immediate family members from succeeding each other in the same position for at least one intervening term.

The group said the restrictions should apply nationwide, covering all elective posts from the barangay to the national level.

NAMFREL further recommended a three-year transition period for incumbent officials, with positions won before the law’s effectivity exempted until the completion of their terms.

According to NAMFREL, political dynasties entrench patronage networks, weaken political competition, and foster corruption by consolidating power and resources within elite families.

The group cited its long-term observations that “the problems of lack of accountability and corruption in governance are ultimately traceable to the country’s historically evolved political processes,” including “the dominance of elite interests – both local and national – in politics and political contests.”

Beyond anti-dynasty legislation, NAMFREL’s agenda includes reforms on campaign finance transparency, electoral justice, political party strengthening, voter education, media access, electoral integrity, gender parity, COMELEC institutional reform, and civil society partnerships.

The organization said these proposals aim to address systemic weaknesses such as opaque campaign financing, a fragile party system, an outdated election code, and vulnerabilities in election management and technology.

NAMFREL reiterated its mission “to ensure that all elections reflect the true will of informed voters” and to secure “transparent, low-cost, competitive, inclusive, orderly, free, and fair elections.”

The group urged Congress to act on the proposed measures, saying meaningful reform is essential to dismantle the corruption-politics nexus that continues to undermine Philippine democracy.