Members of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council meet at Malacañang Palace on December 9, 2025, during the first full LEDAC session of the 20th Congress, where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asked lawmakers to prioritize key political reform measures. – Photo courtesy of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO)
Anti-dynasty measure and transparency proposal return to the legislative forefront
MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has asked Congress to fast-track four governance and political reform bills, directing leaders of both chambers to place them on the administration’s priority list. The directive was relayed by Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro following a meeting of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) on Tuesday, December 9, 2025.
Castro said the President wants Congress to prioritize the Anti-dynasty Bill, the Independent People’s Commission Act, the Party-list System Reform Act and the Citizens’ Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability Act, known as the CADENA Act.
A rare presidential nudge on entrenched issues
The Anti-dynasty Bill seeks to operationalize the Constitution’s instruction for Congress to regulate political dynasties. The 1987 Constitution directs the state to prohibit political dynasties “as may be defined by law,” yet no implementing statute has been passed. Versions filed over the years generally propose limits on close relatives simultaneously holding or succeeding to elective posts within the same jurisdiction.
The Independent People’s Commission Act would create a permanent investigative body through legislation. It is designed to succeed the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, formed in 2025 through executive authority to review alleged irregularities in public works. Senate leaders have said a long-term commission requires a statutory mandate once the ICI completes its limited term.
The Party-list System Reform Act seeks to revisit the rules governing sectoral representation. Policy analyses and legislative hearings have raised concerns that groups not traditionally considered marginalized now occupy some party-list seats. Proposed reforms include clearer qualification standards and tighter accreditation procedures.
The CADENA Act intends to institutionalize transparency in public finance by requiring agencies to publish expenditure documents under standardized rules. Advocates say the measure responds to long-standing discrepancies in disclosure practices across government.
What is driving the administration’s renewed focus
Castro said the President instructed both houses to examine the four bills closely and “prioritize the passage as soon as possible.” Present at the December 9 LEDAC meeting were Senate President Vicente Sotto III, House Speaker Faustino Dy III, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos and other congressional leaders. Meeting participants also agreed on timelines for the passage of the General Appropriations Bill and the submission of the enrolled budget for the President’s signature.
The renewed push comes amid heightened public attention on infrastructure procurement, political concentration and the integrity of sectoral representation. Academic institutions and governance organizations have identified limited oversight, dynastic dominance and inconsistent transparency standards as structural problems requiring legislative action.
The legislative path ahead
All four measures remain at the committee stage based on publicly accessible legislative records. Each bill must undergo hearings, amendments and plenary debates. Both chambers must approve aligned versions before convening a bicameral conference to reconcile differences. Only after this process can a consolidated bill be transmitted to Malacañang.
The President’s directive elevates the proposals on the administration’s priority calendar, but their progress will ultimately depend on congressional deliberations that have historically slowed or stalled similar reform efforts.
