OPINION
Advocates Philippines
Is Bodjie Dy A Puppet Speaker?
Photo credit: Congress PH
The ₱6.793-trillion National Budget for 2026 was signed into law this morning, January 5, 2026, in Malacañang.
However, the delay in its signing tells a different story. It is a story of a House of Representatives that has been reduced to a ceremonial annex of the Executive branch.
The Architecture of a Yes-Man
The late signing is a symptom of a weak leadership that cannot manage its own calendar. By allowing the budget process to bleed into the new year, Speaker Dy has signaled to the nation that the "Power of the Purse" no longer belongs to the people's representatives. It has been surrendered to a timeline dictated by whom he sees as superiors.
The Power Behind the Throne
Insiders have long whispered what the public now clearly sees: Bodjie Dy is a ceremonial speaker. The real power in the Batasan resides with another lawmaker whom we will call the Prince. While Dy handles the platitudes, the Prince handles the patronage.
Dy is not the architect of the 20th Congress; he is merely the landlord of a house he no longer owns. In this lopsided arrangement, the Gavel is held by one man, but the strings are pulled by another whose authority is derived entirely from his lineage.
The Dynastic Mirror
Why does a veteran politician like Bodjie Dy allow himself to be controlled? The answer lies in his own roots. Speaker Dy is the ultimate product of the "ultimate definition" of dynastic rule. For over half a century, the Dy family has treated the province of Isabela as a private fiefdom, passed from father to son like a family heirloom.
Dy understands nepotism because he is its beneficiary. He understands the patriarchy and the benefactors who require the continuous polishing of shoes and the granting of unlimited blessings.
In his world, political authority is not earned through legislative brilliance or independent oversight, it is inherited and maintained through calculated loyalty.
He is comfortable being a puppet because, in the world of Philippine dynasties, there is no greater virtue than protecting the interests of the "Family", even if that family is not his own. By bowing to Royalty, Dy is simply applying the lessons of Isabela to the national stage: survival depends on knowing who the real boss is.
Saying Yes to Humiliation
The 2026 budget, with its ₱92.5 billion in presidential vetoes, is a final humiliation. It is a message from the President that the House’s work is merely a rough draft to be corrected by its masters.
Speaker Bodjie Dy has proven that he is the perfect leader for a bankrupt system.
He has the pedigree of a dynasty and the spine of a servant.
Until the House of Representatives is led by someone whose loyalty to the Constitution outweighs their respect for a surname, the Gavel will remain nothing more than a prop in a play.
However, the delay in its signing tells a different story. It is a story of a House of Representatives that has been reduced to a ceremonial annex of the Executive branch.
The Architecture of a Yes-Man
The late signing is a symptom of a weak leadership that cannot manage its own calendar. By allowing the budget process to bleed into the new year, Speaker Dy has signaled to the nation that the "Power of the Purse" no longer belongs to the people's representatives. It has been surrendered to a timeline dictated by whom he sees as superiors.
The Power Behind the Throne
Insiders have long whispered what the public now clearly sees: Bodjie Dy is a ceremonial speaker. The real power in the Batasan resides with another lawmaker whom we will call the Prince. While Dy handles the platitudes, the Prince handles the patronage.
Dy is not the architect of the 20th Congress; he is merely the landlord of a house he no longer owns. In this lopsided arrangement, the Gavel is held by one man, but the strings are pulled by another whose authority is derived entirely from his lineage.
The Dynastic Mirror
Why does a veteran politician like Bodjie Dy allow himself to be controlled? The answer lies in his own roots. Speaker Dy is the ultimate product of the "ultimate definition" of dynastic rule. For over half a century, the Dy family has treated the province of Isabela as a private fiefdom, passed from father to son like a family heirloom.
Dy understands nepotism because he is its beneficiary. He understands the patriarchy and the benefactors who require the continuous polishing of shoes and the granting of unlimited blessings.
In his world, political authority is not earned through legislative brilliance or independent oversight, it is inherited and maintained through calculated loyalty.
He is comfortable being a puppet because, in the world of Philippine dynasties, there is no greater virtue than protecting the interests of the "Family", even if that family is not his own. By bowing to Royalty, Dy is simply applying the lessons of Isabela to the national stage: survival depends on knowing who the real boss is.
Saying Yes to Humiliation
The 2026 budget, with its ₱92.5 billion in presidential vetoes, is a final humiliation. It is a message from the President that the House’s work is merely a rough draft to be corrected by its masters.
Speaker Bodjie Dy has proven that he is the perfect leader for a bankrupt system.
He has the pedigree of a dynasty and the spine of a servant.
Until the House of Representatives is led by someone whose loyalty to the Constitution outweighs their respect for a surname, the Gavel will remain nothing more than a prop in a play.
Jan 5, 2026
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