Sign up to abolish political dynasties

Be part of history. Join the People’s Initiative to wipe out political dynasties. Simply sign the draft legislation on d1l.org. Convince others to sign up too.

Dapat Isa Lang is the first ever citizens’ direct enactment. It needs signatures of three percent of voters in each congressional district, and 10 percent nationwide. Comelec will verify the signatures, then set a referendum. If majority vote “yes,” it instantly becomes law.

Politicos will not voluntarily give up power. A hundred dynasties have been enthroned for 150 years. They’ve ignored for 39 years the Constitution’s order to define their limits.

Eighty-one percent of congressmen and 83 percent of senators are dynasts. Their relatives control nearly all provinces, cities, municipalities – even barangays.

“Sila-sila lang” breeds corruption. At local levels, related politicos negate checks and balances. At national levels they collude to award themselves pork barrels in the form of discretionary allocations.

This led to the worst scam – P1.7-trillion substandard and ghost flood controls in the past 10 years. Only last Wednesday dynastic congressmen inserted in the 2027 national budget P116 billion in political ayuda and infrastructure pork.

Enough is enough, 15 Supreme Court justices unanimously ruled recently. Still, the House approved a watered-down bill that would in effect legalize and perpetuate dynasties.

If Congress fast-breaks its passage, then our People’s Initiative can repeal it.

We citizens must write and pass the anti-dynasty law ourselves. Dapat Isa Lang put up the online petition so that we can easily, safely, freely sign.

The draft is in English, Filipino, Bisaya and Ilocano. Condensed here are the 13 salient Sections:

(1) Title: An Act defining and prohibiting political dynasties via regulations and penalties pursuant to Article II, Section 26 of the Constitution.

(2) Declaration of Policy: The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties.

(3) Definition: Political dynasty consists of two or more relatives within fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity, full or half blood, natural or adopted, legitimate or illegitimate, including common-law relationship, who simultaneously or successively run for or hold elective office:

National: President, VP, senator, district or party-list representative;

Local: Governor, vice governor, provincial board member, city/municipal mayor, vice mayor, councilor, barangay chairman, councilman.

(4) Prohibition on Simultaneous or Successive Holding of Elective Office: Only one relative may run for national and one for local office within the same province. Metro Manila is deemed as a province. No succession by spouse, partner or relative right after the term.

(5) Resolution of Conflicting Candidacies or Office-Holding: When two or more relatives run, only one may be allowed to sit. Dynasts shall be allowed to resolve the matter among themselves within 15 days. If there’s no agreement, the relative seeking or holding the higher office shall have preference, based on Section 3.

(6) Disqualification Proceedings: Any citizen can file for disqualification of candidacy, for Comelec to resolve. Candidacies include substitute and party-list nominees.

(7) Quo Warranto: Any voter may file for quo warranto against any official prohibited by this Act at any time during such officer’s incumbency.

(8) Effect of Disqualification or Removal: In case of disqualification or removal under this Act, the qualified candidate who obtained the next highest number of votes shall assume office.

(9) The Philippine Statistics Authority and all Local Civil Registrars shall grant Comelec access to birth, marriage, death and adoption records and other documents necessary to show dynastic relation. This is deemed compliant with Section 4 (e) of the Data Privacy Act.

(10) Penal Clause: Any violator of this Act shall be imprisoned for one to six years, and perpetually disqualified from holding public office.

(11) Repealing Clause: Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order, rule or regulation, local ordinance or any part thereof, contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

(12) Separability Clause: If any provision of this Act is declared unconstitutional or invalid, the remaining unaffected provisions shall remain in full force.

(13) Effectivity: 15 days after publication in at least two newspapers of general circulation following Comelec certification that this Act was approved by majority of votes in the referendum.

Dapat Isa Lang is led by retired SC justice Antonio Carpio, Fr. Roberto Reyes, Attys. Eirene Aguila, Alex Lacson and Alexander Cabrera, Miguel Karlo Abadines and ex-Comelec commissioner Luie Tito Guia.

Sign up here: d1l.org.

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