MANILA — Lawmakers from Mindanao underscored the need for consensus and public participation as the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms held its third public consultation on proposed Anti-Political Dynasty measures in Cagayan de Oro City.

“Let’s remember that the aim of this consultation, the aim of this discussion, or even the debate, should not be victory but progress.”

The statement was made by Cagayan de Oro 1st District Rep. Lordan Suan as he opened the consultation hosted in his district at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP).

The series of consultations was initiated by House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, who instructed the committee to conduct discussions outside Congress and bring the debate to communities nationwide.

Dy, along with Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos, filed House Bill No. 6771, a proposed Anti-Political Dynasty measure, signaling the leadership’s push to enact such legislation during the 20th Congress.

The Mindanao leg gathered lawmakers and stakeholders across the island group to discuss 24 pending bills seeking to operationalize the constitutional prohibition against political dynasties. The activity was described as a listening session aimed at grounding proposed legislation in the lived experiences of communities.

Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, chairperson of the committee, emphasized the role of citizens in shaping legislation.

“Sovereignty lies in the people. It is the people’s participation which breathes life into legislation,” Adiong said in his opening message.

“This is your opportunity to speak, and it is our duty to listen.”

Adiong noted that the committee had previously conducted consultations in Cavite for Luzon and in Cebu for the Visayas, where constitutional framers, legal experts, election officials, advocates, and citizens—both supporting and opposing the proposals—were invited to share their views. He said the Mindanao consultation fulfills the House’s commitment to hear perspectives from all major island groups before proceeding further.

“In today’s public consultation we are determined to listen to Mindanaoans on the 24 Anti-Political Dynasty bills referred to the Committee,” Adiong said, adding that the panel’s mandate is to safeguard the right of suffrage and ensure election-related laws reflect the will of the people.

Deputy Speaker and Misamis Oriental 2nd District Rep. Bambi Emano stressed that the consultation process is substantive and not merely procedural.

“There are 24 bills. What the committee would like to do is hear all of you. If a technical working group is created, all your suggestions and all your ideas will be considered. No single person has a monopoly on good ideas,” said Emano.

Misamis Oriental 1st District Rep. Jennifer “Karen” Lagbas, for her part, described the proposed measure as a chance to expand democratic participation and encourage more Filipinos to serve their respective communities and local governments.

Also present at the USTP consultation were Cebu City 1st District Rep. Rachel Marguerite “Cutie” del Mar, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Sarah Jane I. Elago, Bukidnon 2nd District Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores, and 1Tahanan Party-list Rep. Nathaniel Oducado.

Lawmakers reiterated that the consultations are not intended to predetermine the outcome of the proposed legislation but to improve the measures through dialogue. As Suan reminded participants, the objective is not to “win” an argument, but to ensure that any final version passed by Congress is responsive, inclusive, and reflective of realities on the ground.