Political Dynasty

What is Political Dynasty and does Political dynasties reign in Philippines? How Political
Dynasty affects and why we need to control the Political Dynasty?

Political dynasties have long been a feature of the Philippine political landscape. They are
typically characterized as families that have established their political or economic dominance in
a province and have coordinated efforts to move on to involvement in national government or
other positions of national political prominence. Political dynasties usually have a strong,
consolidated support base concentrated around the province in which they are dominant.
Members of such dynasties usually do not limit their involvement to strictly political activities,
and have been found participating in business or culture-related activities.

Political dynasties started emerging after the Philippine Revolution when the First
Republic of the Philippines was established. With the decline of Spain's economic power and
international prestige in the 19th century, the expansion of British and American influence
around the world, and the political current of emergent nationalism among the children of the
economically enfranchised bourgeois, the power of the peninsulares', or Spanish-born
aristocracy declined propitiously. Following the defeat of the Spanish in the Spanish–American
War, the surviving members of the Spanish or Spanish-sanctioned landholding elite and the
newly ascendant merchant elite, who were mostly foreign expatriates or of Chinese origin,
formed a de facto aristocracy to replace the power vacuum the Spanish had left.

Political dynasty continues to reign the Philippines politics like in the far provinces that
based on Ronaldo Mendoza, executive director of AIM and leader of research team that looked
reigning political clans have a control to elective positions in local governments nationwide, that
political dynasties continue to take over the political power in many local governments like
provinces, municipalities and cities nationwide like for example here in Pasig City the seat of the
Mayor that many years that Eusebio family has been incumbent, and it was categorized current
reigning political clans as “fat” or “thin” dynasties. Mendoza said “fat” dynasties are political
families that have several members holding elective position in a certain local government for
three years, a “thin” dynasty is a political clan that has two members like a father and a son that
swapping certain positions. A fat dynasty monopolizing power is an undesirable situation that
makes to the other politician that not so fame to win because the clan that they are fighting with
is/have a many connection and power just to win another term in the government because of
that many well-known person that have been elected in the government that you get tired of
hearing their name.

How political dynasty affects is you can even see it, in the political family issue has been
a subject of debate in the Philippines for as long as there has been a Philippines. The Constitution
specifically prohibits dynasties, with the as-yet-unfulfilled proviso "as defined by law." Even that
many well-known families have maintained a permanent presence in government for
generations that controlled some same positions for many years. The political dynasty can affect
politics that many of the candidates have been ruled by abusive power of their position. Once
they have their desired position, they do not want to be replaced by the position they are
standing on. For them to say in their position, they will change some laws that favor them and
not only give them money and power, but also make them secure in the position they have. The
power of political dynasties can create competition in unfair elections. This is because of the
various political families involved in the government. They want to get their wealth and power in
their political family, but most have the power for them not to change their position , Because of
this Political dynasty there will be a corruption going on if it’s true that an ex elected or elected
in position in the government he/she will know the ways how will they corrupt the government
in sneak it will become problem to the certain place that this is happened that the powerful in
clan in the politics can do different dirty plays to make sure that they will win again in the next
elections they can make hard for the others to have their name recognize. The Political Dynasty
can affect too the economic progress of certain places that the politician only use the poverty of
the people to make themselves more attractive to the campaign that what their care is only the
good of their own. Michel Foucault mentioned in his work, “Discipline and Punish”, political
dynasties in the Philippines are unique in a way that they possess dynamic qualities that keep
them surviving up until today. He stressed in his work that power is exercised in ways that it can
be excessive to maintain order and discipline in society.
 We need to control the Political Dynasty because it limits the chances of the other Filipino
to serve the people. That the new and capable leader who could possibly can perform better than
in the current elected person this would be not them give an opportunity when running against
someone with well-known name in the politics. Making the new ones make them be little of
themselves that they only seek for low position. The government must take an action to make
things right in the politics I only see it that most of them wants political dynasty stays in the
politics, the solution I think of is the prohibited any family relation of the elected official from
seeking same elected office this will make chances to the other people who wants to be an
elected official if this has been implemented it will lessen the corruption rate in the government
that we all know all who runs in the government has been known in the name because of that
we cannot say that they didn’t do corruption in the government. By making control of political
dynasty its guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and to prevent the
concentration, consolidation, or perpetuation of political power in persons related to one
another. Political leadership is not a free commodity. It is one that is acquired not only because
of passion or popularity, but also because of training and experience.