The Philippine Senate's exclusive genetic make-up

The Philippine Senate's exclusive genetic make-up

concretizing a disturbing trend in the Philippine Senate. Composition of the Upper HouseIncreasingly drawn from a limited gene pool

Inclusiveness and quality of representation citizens get from what is becoming an old surnames club.13th to 16th CongressMen and women from 33 families have been in charge of making our national laws.

Of the 16 newcomers since the 13th Congress, nine have immediate relatives who were either former senators or presidents.

The old surnames trend

the tendency for candidates with immediate relatives (defined as members of their nuclear family) that have held nationally-elected positions to win a seat in the Senate.

The composition of the Senates new comers in the sixteenth congress posed a high possibility for this trend to reach its peak.

And it did. First time that all Senate new comers are directly related to politicians who have been elected to national positions.It used to be the case that being a journalist, a basketball legend or an action star provided an alternative source of political capital to arrest such trend. Now, it appears that launching a military mutiny is the only feasible way for those without benefit of heredity to capture the political center-stage.

Does it even matter?

Why, though? For the reason that itundermines the principle of competitive elections

a minimum requirement for a state to be considered democratic.Issues onkinship-based compositionthe right to choose can only be exercised if there were choices.

What these trends indicate is a creation of family franchises in a deliberative body responsible for legislating on behalf of a hundred million citizens.Exceptions rather than norm?Problem about the Philippines is that kinship-based politics are not only the norm; it is increasingly becoming a prerequisite to get elected in a national post.it can be said that

a mere reflection of broader societal structures of inequality,an agent of change.power to set the national agenda through legislationdefine the Philippines place in the world concurring or blocking the ratification of international treatiesenforce accountability through its oversight functions over the executive. the ability to discipline the abuses of an elite-dominated state and a predatory market.A dynastic Senate is a perversion of this promise.

stands to benefit most from inertiano incentive to create credible political parties when their families have mastered the art of pandering to a narrow set of interests whenever election season comes around.no stake in supporting transformative politicians who can provide meaningful alternatives and contest political brand names.

How about a Good Dynasty?Maybe. if only it canbuild political partiesopen up the electoral structureempower qualified leaders not related to them by blood or by friendship and create spaces for contestation among newer politicians. be willing to vacate power because this political family understands that concentration of power is anathema to democratic deepening. A good dynasty is one that is not afraid to wither away.