Despite having President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and four other members of its clan in the House of Representatives, the Arroyo family cannot be considered a political dynasty that the Constitution of the country frowns upon.

Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, eldest son of President Arroyo, made this contention even as former Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto, chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board, warned Monday that an anti-political dynasty law is unfair to legitimate members of a family.

“An anti-dynasty law in politics will not cover politicians born out of wedlock and members of an illegitimate family. That’s unfair, if not totally absurd,” said Sotto who blocked Senate’s approval of an antipolitical dynasty bill during the 11th Congress.

Congress inaction on pending anti-political dynasty measures ‘Arroyo not a dynasty’ surfaced as a pre-2010 election issue after Nueva Ecija Rep. Edno Joson revealed that he is “90 percent sure” to leave politics to dramatize his call for an end the reign of political dynasties in the country.

Joson, who belongs to the longestreigning political clans in the country, dared President Arroyo and former President Joseph Estrada, who both head political families, to likewise give up politics.

Sought for comment, Rep. Arroyo said their family does not qualify as a political dynasty.

“I don’t think you can consider our family a political dynasty. We all represent different congressional districts,” the young Arroyo said.

Aside from him and his mother, Arroyos elected to public office are his brother, Rep. Diosdado Arroyo of Camarines Sur; uncle, Rep. Ignacio Arroyo of Negros Occidental and Ma. Lourdes Arroyo of Ang Kasanggaparty-list.

Rep. Arroyo said he is likewise a critic of political dynasty, adding he is, in fact, considering co-authorship of bills pending in the Lower House.

“I will gladly co-author the bills as long as it do not contain repressive provisions that would deny voters the right to choose who they believe is best to become leaders of the country. Unrealistic provisions should likewise be deleted,” he stated.

The two pending bills are separately authored by Majority Leader Arthur Defensor and Deputy Minority Leader Satur Ocampo.

Makati City Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr., chairman of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms, vowed to act on the two anti-dynasty measures pending before the House panel.

However, Locsin admitted he will be pushing for approval of the measures despite “his so-so feeling” about the proposals.

“With anti-dynasty, the US would have no Adams, Roosevelt, Kennedy, and Bush dynasties. The Nazis and the communists would divide the world between them,” Locsin explained. “Without the Bushes we would all be on our knees on small carpets facing Mecca or losing our heads.”

He added: “On the other hand, almost all our politicians, opposition and administration, would be walking around with stumps where their hands should be because amputation is penalty of kurakot.”

For his part, Laguna Rep. Edgar San Luis said not all political dynasties are “bad per se.”

“That constitutional provision was more of a knee jerk reaction against the dictatorship. Our democratic system can vote out bad politicians at the end of the day whether they belong to dynasties or not,” San Luis explained.