Political clans rule provinces, swarm party-list seats

Dear Editors, Fellows, and Friends,

Political dynasties have dominated our elections for decades. Their dominance has underscored a system where power is frequently passed down within families, raising concerns about its impact on democratic representation and political diversity.

Following our reports on “obese” political dynasties and the tactics they employ to keep their grip on power—focused on the district seats in the House of Representatives—we continue our series to show how political dynasties have also swarmed the party-list elections and hogged gubernatorial seats nationwide.

If you could, please publish or post our reports in your newspapers, websites, and social media pages. The files are in this Google Drive:

Our research showed the following:

• 36 out of 54 party-list groups in the current 19th Congress have at least one nominee belonging to a political family. In next year’s elections, at least 78 out of the 156 party-list organizations certified by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) also belong to political families.
• 71 of 82 governors belong to political dynasties. Out of this number, 47 governors who belong to political dynasties are seeking reelection. Meanwhile, 19 sitting governors who are not reelectionists have family members seeking to replace them.

We expected the numbers to be high, but we were still surprised by the extent that political dynasties control our politics.

The Singsons, Ortegas, and Dimaporos have long been the most entrenched. But among relatively newer dynasties, the Tulfos and the Pacquiaos of Sarangani and General Santos stand out.

Our lists, maps, and charts are the result of PCIJ’s review of candidates who filed their certificates of candidacy (COCs) in early October, using lists from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), information from news media reports, and social media posts by the candidates, news media, and Comelec offices.

PCIJ’s editorial team and our hardworking interns produced an interactive map of the Philippines. Click the provinces and it will show you if a political clan rules it.

You may also explore our searchable research data. Type the province to show a list of political clans operating in the LGU. You may also type the surnames to show how many of its members are running next year. 

We invite you to read our stories, explore the data, and engage in discussions about the implications of these findings. Help us amplify the call for accountability.

Thank you for your continued support.