DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 13 March) — While most Filipinos support the passage of a law banning political dynasties, respondents in Mindanao appear more divided on the issue, according to the latest nationwide survey released Friday by Pulse Asia.
The survey, conducted from February 27 to March 2, 2026 among 1,200 adult respondents nationwide, found that 64% of Filipinos support the passage of a law that would limit or prohibit political dynasties, whereas 17% oppose the measure, and 19% remain undecided.
However, public opinion in Mindanao differs sharply from the national trend.
In Mindanao, only 32% of respondents support banning political dynasties, while 39% oppose the measure, and 29% said they were undecided, making Mindanao the only major geographic area where support for the measure does not reach a majority.
By comparison, support for an anti-dynasty law is considerably higher elsewhere in the country, with 69% agreement in Metro Manila, 74% in the rest of Luzon, and 73% in the Visayas.
The survey results come amid a political landscape in Mindanao where dynastic families continue to dominate local politics.
A review by MindaNews found that 23 of Mindanao’s 28 provinces elected governors, vice governors, or representatives from the same political families, highlighting the continued strength of dynastic politics across the region.
Weaker support in Mindanao across proposals
Other questions in the survey also show that support for anti-dynasty reforms is consistently lower in Mindanao compared to the national average.
But despite the regional differences in opinion, among respondents who support or are undecided about banning dynasties, 76% nationwide say such a ban should apply to both national and local positions, rather than being limited to only one level of government.
When asked about specific restrictions, 72% to 73% of Filipino adults in Luzon and 78% in Visayas support prohibiting relatives from consecutively holding the same local government position. In Mindanao, however, support for this proposal falls to 47%, with 34% of respondents in the region indicating uncertainty.
A similar pattern appears at the national level. While 71% to 76% in Luzon and 78% in Visayas support banning relatives from consecutively holding the same national elective position, only 47% of respondents in Mindanao express support for the same measure.
Support in the region is also weaker when it comes to relatives holding positions in national and local governments at the same time.
On banning relatives from simultaneously holding elective posts in both national and local governments,76% to 77% in Luzon and 73% in Visayas agree with banning relatives from simultaneously holding elective posts in both national and local governments, but in Mindanao, only 40% support such a restriction, with 35% remaining undecided.
When asked specifically about simultaneous positions in local government, 68% to 74% in Manila and 74% in Visayas support banning relatives from holding such posts at the same time, compared with 49% support in Mindanao.
Similarly, nationwide, 75% of Luzon and 80% of Visayas respondents favor prohibiting relatives from holding national government positions simultaneously, but in Mindanao support again falls to 49%.
Another proposal in the survey — limiting the number of family members running in the same election to two, one for a national position and one for a local position — is supported by 71% to 72% of Filipinos in Luzon, 81% in Visayas, but only 53% of respondents in Mindanao.
Dynasties dominate many Mindanao provinces
A survey conducted by Pulse Asia on December 12 to 15, 2025 and released on December 30 shows that while majority in Luzon and Visayas agree with the statement that “Congress should immediately pass a law banning political dynasties,” in Mindanao, only 5% “very much agree.”
In several provinces in Mindanao, members of the same clan simultaneously occupy key positions in both executive and legislative offices. In Camiguin, the Romualdo family holds the posts of governor, vice governor, and congressional representative. Similar arrangements exist in Davao del Sur, Davao Occidental, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.
When members of the same family hold multiple government positions, it weakens government oversight, as officials — whose duty it is to question, review, or challenge one another’s decisions — may belong to the same political clan, making independent scrutiny more difficult.
Debate continues in Congress
The House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms recently approved a consolidated Anti-Political Dynasty bill from out of 24 proposals, banning relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity or affinity — such as parents, children, siblings, spouses, in-laws — from simultaneously running for or holding elective office in the same locality.
Some members of the minority bloc withdrew support, claiming the consolidated bill is “watered down” and weaker than earlier proposals.
The Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation also recently approved a consolidated anti-dynasty, similarly proposing to ban relatives up to the second degree from running for or holding elective posts simultaneously.
While the Pulse Asia survey shows strong support for such reforms nationwide, the findings suggest that attitudes toward political dynasties remain more complex in regions like Mindanao, where family-based political networks have long been embedded in the local political landscape. (Bea Gatmaytan / MindaNews)
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