Pulse: 34% of voters will choose bets from political dynasties

MANILA, Philippines – The latest survey of the Pulse Asia Research showed that 34 percent of Filipinos agree with voting members of political dynasties.

Asked if “one should not vote for candidates who have children, spouses, siblings or parents who are current or former elected government officials," 34 percent of the  respondents of Pulse’s January 2016 survey said they agree.

Only 32 percent have a contrary opinion regarding the matter while the remaining 34 percent said they were still undecided if they are for or anti-political dynasties.

The survey result said the public opinion regarding the electoral support or non-support for politicians belonging to political dynasties is split three ways and is generally unchanged between March 2013 and January 2016.

It added that the same opinion may be observed in the rest of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao including in classes D and E.

Based on the results, half of the residents of Metro Manila, equivalent to 50, percent expressed opposition to political dynasties. They said candidates coming from political dynasties should not be elected into office.

In June 2015, the House of Representatives expressed readiness to approve the anti-dynasty bill, prohibiting first-degree relatives of elected officials from running. However, in October 2015, the Congress said that it is still with the Senate’s committee on justice.

Senate President Franklin Drilon earlier said several officials from both House of Representatives and the Senate are opposing the bill. The Congress took a recess for the 90-day electoral campaign without passing the anti-dynasty bill.

On Sunday, presidential candidates Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago clashed as Binay expressed support for political dynasties while Santiago opposed the idea, saying the Constitution shall implement it as a law. Binay even questioned Santiago’s son who ran for a party-list but only served a term.

Santiago, who is among the principal authors of an anti-dynasty bill version, said up to now the measure is not yet passed as several politicians who belong to dynasties were blocking its passage.

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