Screenshot from the “Dapat 1sa Lang” website
MANILA — Various civil society groups, religious, and grassroots organizations launched Wednesday digital signature platform “Dapat 1sa Lang” to push for an Anti-Dynasty Law through a people's initiative.
Convenors include the Philippine Bar Association, Caritas Philippines, the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, and the business sector.
The campaign aims to gather the signatures of 10 percent of the electorate, or roughly 7 million voters, in at least 3 percent of all legislative districts in the country.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will determine if the gathered signatures are sufficient. The proposal will then be brought to a national referendum for passage of the law.
Aside from gathering signatures, the platform allows the public to read the proposed law.
The proposed Anti-Dynasty Act covers relatives up to the fourth civil degree and limits a political family to no more than one national and local elective position at the same time, regardless of whether it is provincial, city, municipal, or at the barangay level.
The proposal prohibits successive holding and switching of elective positions within the same political family.
SC backs limit up to 4th degree to curb political dynasties
Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said political dynasties have taken hold of most positions in government.
“Every year, our Congress, the House, is composed of about 80 percent political dynasties. The Senate also, about 70 percent. So, ang ginagawa nila every General Appropriations Act, sinasaksakan nila ng mga pork barrel,” he said.
“The political dynasties have passed laws like the General Appropriations Acts where they insert ayuda, flood control project, kung ano-ano and this is really the source of corruption.”
Lawyer Eirene Aguila, co-spokesperson and convener of Dapat 1sa Lang, said the measure should be passed before the 2028 elections as this would put an end to corrupt practices in the country.
“The people will act. That is what a people initiative means, hindi po ito shortcut, hindi ito loophole, at lalong hindi ito rebellion. It is democracy in its most direct, most peaceful, and constitutional form. This is a law designed to actually end political dynastic control, not merely rearrange the family seating plan,” she said.
The Supreme Court this month ruled in favor of petitions to compel Congress to pass a law against political dynasties as mandated by the 1987 Constitution.
SC: 39 years too long for Congress to act on political dynasties
Last June, the House of Representatives approved an anti-political dynasty bill. The measure only covers up to the second degree, which the chamber's leadership said was the version that lawmakers were willing to accept.
Getting anti-political dynasty bill enacted a House priority — Speaker