Negros bishop leads push for antidynasty campaign
BACOLOD CITY—The Diocese of San Carlos in Negros Occidental province is seeking to enliven efforts to legislate a measure against dynastic control of political power in the country, calling on clergy, Catholic schools, and lay organizations to intensify the collection of signatures for a people’s campaign to stop political dynasties.
In a circular letter on Nov. 11, San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza urged parish priests, mission station leaders, and diocesan heads across Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental provinces to help gather at least 38,084 signatures for Dapat Isa Lang (D1L) People’s Initiative to meet the local 5-percent benchmark across the diocese’s three legislative districts.
The D1L initiative seeks to gather 7.5 million signatures nationwide to trigger a referendum that would prohibit political dynasties, fulfilling a mandate under the 1987 Constitution, Alminaza pointed out.
Immediate target
To qualify for a national referendum in 2027, the campaign must hit its target by Jan. 30, 2027, or by July 30, 2027, to align with the 2028 general elections, he said.
Alminaza, in his circular, said nationwide sign-ups stood at 22,244 as of Sunday midnight.
While far from the ultimate target, he noted a 175-percent weekly jump in digital signatures and a 137-percent increase in new website users—the highest weekly growth since the campaign site launched on Sept. 30.
The initiative’s immediate national target is reaching 100,000 signatures to build broader momentum, Alminaza said.
Within the diocese’s jurisdiction, sign-ups reported as of Nov. 10 totaled 76, against the 38,084 benchmark. Some 36 signatures were gathered in the first district of Negros Oriental against a target of 14,602; 30 in the first district of Negros Occidental against a target of 12,871; and 10 in the second district of Negros Occidental against a target of 10,611, he noted.
Alminaza stressed that the initiative is nonpartisan and directed against systemic governance issues rather than specific political families or parties.
Citing post-2025 election data referenced by the Supreme Court, he noted that political clans account for 19 of 24 senators, 212 of 254 district representatives, 71 of 82 provincial governors, and all elected mayors in Metro Manila.
The bishop also highlighted research linking dynastic concentration to persistent poverty incidence in the Visayas and Mindanao.
To drive local action, Alminaza directed parishes to set up D1L information desks following Sunday and daily Masses, incorporate the campaign’s themes into homilies and formation sessions, and mobilize volunteers to assist voters in completing the digital petition process at D1L.org.
The diocese framed the push as a concrete observance of the upcoming World Day of the Poor on Nov. 15.
Church leaders stressed that participation must remain strictly voluntary, with volunteers instructed to guide voters through the submission of voter location details, signature images, and identity verifications without coercion.
