Democratic Party pushes filibuster limitation bill through legislature

The ruling Democratic Party forcibly passed a revision to the National Assembly Act limiting filibusters during a subcommittee meeting on Nov. 27. The party said the measure will be brought to the full assembly next month. Under the revision, the National Assembly speaker can end a filibuster if the number of members present falls below one-fifth of total members, or 60. Current law allows the plenary to adjourn if attendance does not meet the quorum. When filibusters were reinstated in 2012 under the National Assembly Innovation Act after 47 years, an exception was made to protect minority party speaking rights. The new revision removes that exception.

The Democratic Party argues that members of the main opposition People Power Party often leave the chamber during filibusters, abusing the process and delaying legislation. However, under current law, a filibuster can be ended 24 hours after it begins with approval from at least three-fifths of total members. The Democratic Party has previously ended filibusters in a single day to pass contentious bills, including amendments to the Government Organization Act. In practice, major bills that the Democratic Party is determined to pass can be pushed through at any time due to its majority.

In this context, filibusters remain the last legal tool for minority parties to check the power of the dominant party. The National Assembly Innovation Act was passed with bipartisan support, including backing from the Democratic Party when it was in the minority. The party has consistently emphasized that filibusters are the final right of the opposition to restrain majority overreach. Now, holding a majority, the party is changing its stance to make filibusters easier to override, raising questions about whether it is undermining the very purpose of the law it helped enact.

The People Power Party must also stop threatening to filibuster noncontroversial bills whenever it clashes with the Democratic Party over key legislation. On Nov. 28, it indicated it could filibuster all bills on the plenary agenda, which would turn filibusters into a tool for political conflict. Filibusters, whether used when the Democratic Party was in the minority or now as the majority, serve as a minimal brake in a National Assembly lacking a culture of bipartisan agreement, slowing the unilateral actions of the majority. The Democratic Party should reconsider whether it is truly necessary to push through a law limiting filibusters and refusing to allow even this level of opposition.