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Alexis Romero - The Philippine Star
February 11, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos is pushing for the passage of 21 priority measures by June, including bills banning political dynasties, abolishing the travel tax and penalizing disinformation, as his administration seeks to rebuild public trust and improve the daily lives of Filipinos.
Marcos endorsed the measures during yesterday’s meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), which consists of key executive officials and congressional leaders.
The Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) said the 21 priority bills support policies aimed at restoring public trust, addressing urgent national concerns and improving the delivery of basic social services.
Among the key measures are the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act; a bill abolishing the travel tax; the Anti-Fake News and Disinformation Act; a measure resetting the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and the creation of an Independent People’s Commission.
Marcos included the anti-dynasty bill in his priority list last December, reversing the opposition he expressed during the 2022 campaign, due to “abusive practices.”
Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said Marcos sought updates on the anti-dynasty bill during the meeting, the third LEDAC session under the 20th Congress.
“The President and the people want it passed as soon as possible,” Castro said.
Quoting Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Castro said the Senate has begun public consultations on the measure, which would serve as the enabling law for the constitutional provision prohibiting political dynasties.
The Senate has already conducted consultations in Pasig and plans to hold more in other areas, while the House of Representatives is also expected to undertake its own consultations.
Marcos also backed the abolition of the travel tax, a bill filed by his son, Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, saying the move would help reduce travel costs and boost tourism.
Castro said the President recognized that people travel not only for leisure but also for work or emergencies.
On the proposed measure against disinformation or “fake news,” Castro said safeguards would be put in place to ensure that freedom of expression and legitimate criticism of the government are not curtailed.
“The President said it should be balanced because freedom of expression may be eroded. Fake news and disinformation should be properly defined,” Castro said.
“The President will not allow the freedom of expression and freedom of speech of our countrymen to be eroded,” she added.
“Overall, the President was happy and satisfied with the priority bills that are expected to be passed by June this year,” Castro said.
LEDAC is likewise seeking passage of proposed reforms to the party-list system to strengthen democratic processes and ensure fairer and more inclusive political representation, with safeguards against the abuse of public office.
DEPDev said the proposed Independent People’s Commission Act and amendments to the Bank Deposits Secrecy Law aim to enhance accountability and curb corruption by empowering independent investigations and removing barriers to uncovering financial irregularities.
The bill creating the Independent People’s Commission would expand the powers of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, which was formed by Marcos to investigate alleged substandard and non-existent flood control projects.
Also included among the priority measures are amendments to the Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act of 2020, which seek to criminalize sexual extortion, including threats to release children’s private photos and videos.
“By establishing stronger oversight mechanisms over infrastructure spending and advancing real-time transparency in the budget process, the administration continues to drive reforms to ensure that every peso spent benefits the Filipino people,” DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.
Aside from the 21 priority measures, LEDAC also discussed 31 other bills under its common legislative agenda, covering land use, taxation, health, education, governance reforms, digitalization, economic regulation and other key policy areas. — Helen Flores, Mark Ernest Villeza, Jose Rodel Clapano, Marc Jayson Cayabyab
