Four Arroyos in the House is a world record - Casiño
Submitted by mkbyn on Wed, 07/21/2010 - 1:40pm
14th and 15th Congress
This is one worthy of the Guinness World Records.
For two straight congresses, the Arroyo family dynasty has cornered four seats in the Philippine House of Representatives – possibly the most number of seats in a parliament ever occupied by a family.
“I will be writing the Guinness World Records to register the Arroyo family's feat so that they can be recorded side by side with former Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, who is listed as one of the world's biggest looters, and wife Imelda Marcos for her 3,400 pairs of shoes,” Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino said.
In the 14th Congress, Gloria Arroyo had four reliable dynasty members in the Lower House in her sons Mikey Macapagal-Arroyo, (2nd District Pampanga) and Diosdado “Dato” Macapagal Arroyo, (1st District Camarines Sur), and in-laws Iggy Arroyo (5th District, Negros Occidental and Ma. Lourdes Arroyo (Party-list Ang Kasangga).
“While former Rep. Lourdes opted not to be nominated by her party-list group, for the 15th Congress, the words garapal and swapang is redefined by former Pres. Gloria herself. She took the seat of son Mikey, Reps. Dato and Iggy won their re-election bids and Mikey becomes a party-list representative of security guards and tricycle drivers. Thanks to the block-headed logic of the COMELEC that clearly favors the Arroyo dynasty, we again have four members of the Arroyo bloc in Congress,” Casino said.
The Bayan Muna solon said even the Guinness World Records "have never entertained the possibility of a family having such multiple seats in a parliament. This is probably a first: the world’s biggest family bloc in a congress: the Arroyo family.”
“This is the current prime example in Congress of an unconstitutional existence: an in-your-face political dynasty with the former President, two sons and a brother-in-law as legislators. Despite this certain garapalan by Gloria, this should be addressed by the 15th Congress. We will re-file our anti-dynasty bill to include prohibiting multiple seats in Congress,” Casino said.
Article 2, Section 26 of the 1987 Constitution states that “The State shall
guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit
political dynasties as may be defined by law.” #
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