Jaro Archdiocese launches people’s initiative vs political dynasties

The Archdiocese of Jaro has launched the Dapat Isa Lang movement in Iloilo City to push for an anti-political dynasty law through a People’s Initiative.

Msgr. Meliton Oso of the Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center (JASAC) said the initiative seeks to give Filipinos a direct role in proposing legislation to prohibit political dynasties.

The proposed initiative is separate from House Bill No. 8389, or the Anti-Political Dynasty Act, which the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading on June 3 and transmitted to the Senate on June 8. The Senate is also considering its own version of the measure.

Under the proposal being advanced by Dapat Isa Lang, only one member of a family would be allowed to hold a national elective position and one member at the local level. It also seeks to prohibit relatives from simultaneously running for or holding office, exchanging positions, or directly succeeding one another in elective posts.

The proposed measure would cover relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity, compared with the second-degree limit under the House-approved bill.

The initiative also proposes a cooling-off period requiring a family member to wait one term after an elected official’s tenure ends before running for an elective position.

Oso said proponents must gather signatures from at least 10 percent of all registered voters nationwide, with representation of at least 3 percent of registered voters in every legislative district, to meet the constitutional requirements for a People’s Initiative.

The Catholic Church is urging the public to join the campaign as co-petitioners through the movement’s website, dapatisa.org, while manual signature collection continues in churches and other institutions.

The group aims to complete the signature-gathering campaign by December 31 and plans to submit the petition to the Commission on Elections in the first week of February.

Dapat Isa Lang is a nationwide movement seeking to establish an anti-political dynasty law through a People’s Initiative.IMT