House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos III is pushing three bills on gun safety, the protection of children online and political dynasties, his office said in a statement on Tuesday. He co-authored all three measures with House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, and each is at a different stage of the legislative process, from committee approval to passage on final reading. Marcos’s involvement in these issues reaches well beyond his own congressional district.
The gun bill, House Bill No. 11387 or the Responsible Firearm Ownership and Safe Storage Act, was filed after a shooting at Banga National High School in South Cotabato in September, in which the attacker used his father’s gun. It would require firearms to be stored more safely, make gun-safety training mandatory and impose heavier penalties for unauthorised access to weapons. It also targets criminal negligence by adults who allow minors or other unauthorised people to get hold of a gun.
House Bill No. 9965, the Children’s Social Media Safety Act, would hold platforms liable when they fail to meet online safety standards for minors. Companies that breach protections such as age verification, parental controls and the blocking of harmful content could face fines of up to P50 million. The proposal has been merged into a consolidated measure covering 42 House bills, and on 1 October the House Committee on Appropriations approved its funding provisions. How it is put into practice will depend on the final version the chamber approves.
The third measure, House Bill No. 8389 or the Anti-Political Dynasty Act, cleared third and final reading on 3 June with 267 votes in favour, 20 against and seven abstentions. It would stop spouses and relatives within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity from holding specified elective posts in the same jurisdiction. Critics say those limits may not go far enough. The House approved the measure by a wide margin, but its final shape will depend on what happens once it reaches the Senate and a joint version has to be agreed.
Marcos, who represents the 1st District of Ilocos Norte, has acknowledged that the House version of the anti-dynasty bill could still change during the bicameral conference committee, where differences between the House and Senate texts are settled before a final version goes forward.
