Anti-dynasty petition filed by taxpayer swept out of High Court
THE Supreme Court dismissed a petition seeking a ban on political dynasties in the Philippines.
According to High Court spokesman and acting Public Information Office Chief Ma. Victoria Gleoresty Guerra, the court unanimously denied the motion for reconsideration filed by taxpayer Louis Biraogo.
The court has denied the appeal for alleged lack of merit.
However, Guerra did not give any detail as to the reasons behind the junking of the motion because she was not given enough information. The information given to Guerra was made by the office of Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno.
In his petition, Biraogo asked the court to order the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to implement section 26, article 2 of the Constitution that prohibits political dynasties in polls.
“The state shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law,” he said.
“Whether or not political dynasties are evil per se is no longer debatable from a constitutional perspective. Sec. 26, Art. 2 of the 1987 Constitution prohibits political dynasties, period . . . Political dynasties are prohibited by the fundamental law of the land.”
The ban, Biraogo said, was put up by framers of the constitution as a “guarantee of equal access to opportunities for public power is to be fulfilled. The guarantee cannot exist without the prohibition.”
“The list of candidates for national and local government posts in the coming May 2013 midterm elections is the best testament to the mockery this constitutional provision has been subjected to in the hands of political dynasties.”
The clans of the following high-powered politicians were cited: former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada, Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Edgardo Angara and Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.
