Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III said yesterday that he sees political turncoatism as easier to pass than the anti-political dynasty bill.
In an interview on Teleradyo’s On the Spot, Pimentel said all members of the lawmaking body are strongly objecting to the anti-political dynasty bill.
“Let us say, in the anti-political dynasty law, we fully know that all members of the dynasty there in the lawmaking body will oppose it,” he said.
This anti-political turncoatism, Pimentel noted, has higher chances of being passed in Congress.
If the bill becomes a law, Pimentel however said it would only benefit the younger generation of leaders.
“Maybe this law will benefit the future generation who will enter politics while they are still young,” Pimentel said. “If you are stuck for life in your party, it would be better to understand what you are fighting for,” he said.
Under Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s House Bill No. 488, politicians who will jump to another political party a year before and a year after any national polls would result in the forfeiture of the elective office that they are running for or the post that they have been elected for.
Pimentel stressed this measure will stop politicians from changing their political party because of advantages.
“There is a period of time, a lull period when the elections are not yet contested, you are allowed to shift to another party,” he said.
With that, Pimentel also said politicians are not just shifting parties because they will will use a certificate of nomination of a political party that they think has a charismatic leader.