Filipino bishops back signature drive to ban political dynasties

Filipino bishops are supporting a nationwide signature campaign called Dapat Isa Lang to pass a law banning political dynasties. The lay-led movement seeks to prevent members of the same family from holding public office at the same time.

Organizers plan to use a people’s initiative to enact the law, which allows citizens to bypass Congress by gathering signatures from 10 percent of registered voters to launch a national referendum. To meet constitutional requirements, proponents must collect at least 7.1 million signatures, representing 3 percent of voters in each of the country's 254 legislative districts.

Proponents are turning to the Catholic Church to help reach voters in remote areas and grassroots communities. The campaign aims to overcome the difficulty of gathering and validating the necessary number of signatures across the Philippines.