If President Rodrigo Duterte wants to seriously dismantle the oligarchy, he should first lead the crackdown of political dynasties, said a political science professor.
Recently, Duterte exclaimed his victory in defeating the oligarchy without the need to declare martial law. This remark came days after the House of Representatives denied ABS-CBN their franchise renewal.
Professor Julio Teehankee, who also assisted the president in drafting his proposed federal constitution, warned Duterte against a selective campaign against so-called oligarchs, citing cases where “once one president’s oligarch was another president’s crony.”
“If you just target 1 or 2 families and then you ignore the others, or if you don’t totally consider changing fundamentally what is wrong with the structure and the system, then that is not reform–that is simply partisan politics,” Teehankee explained in a podcast.
“If, truly, President Duterte is sincere in trying to dismantle oligarchy in this country, he should start by passing a genuine anti-political dynasty law.”
Under the constitution, political dynasties are prohibited, but the provision requires an enabling law which Congress has failed to pass for the past 33 years.
Duterte’s family is also known to have built political power over their bailiwick in Davao City.
