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How Representative is Congress? (2166 words) |
 | Political office in the Philippines has always been hierarchical: Aspiring politicians went up the political ladder from local to national office, from the House to the Senate, and from the Senate to the presidency. |
| Political families have the edge, because they can mobilize local patronage and political networks for their electoral forays. |
| The most enduring political families are the best evidence of this: The Aquinos and Cojuangcos of Tarlac, the Osmeñas of Cebu, the Romualdezes of Leyte, and the Marcoses of Ilocos Norte, among others, have been in Philippine legislatures for four generations. |
| Political Clans Make A Comeback (2008 words) |
| A generation of younger, better-educated lawmakers was elected to the House of Representatives, loosening the grip of political families that had dominated the legislature for generations. |
| Political analyst Joel Rocamora of the think-tank Institute for Popular Democracy argues, however, that the urgent matter is not the passage of an anti-dynasty lawassuming advocates can succeed in getting one passed at all. |
| Political families who will hold on to their seats at all costs, says Rocamora, thrive in all the confusion caused by obsolete elections systems. |
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