THE CATHOLIC Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has endorsed the citizen-led “Dapat Isa Lang” signature drive seeking the enactment of an anti-political dynasty law, calling on Catholic institutions and the faithful to support the initiative.
In a pastoral letter signed by CBCP President and Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera and issued on Friday, Sept. 25, the bishops’ conference called on dioceses, Catholic institutions, religious communities and lay individuals to back the initiative.
“Public office must never become a family inheritance. It is a public trust, entrusted by the people to serve all,” the CBCP said in the pastoral letter.
The conference cited Article II, Section 26 of the 1987 Constitution, which provides for equal access to opportunities for public service and the prohibition of political dynasties as may be defined by law.
The CBCP said the constitutional provision had yet to be fulfilled and framed the proliferation of political dynasties as a “moral and ethical concern.”
“When public authority is treated as private privilege, the common good suffers. When political opportunities are effectively reserved for a few, equal access to public service is diminished,” it said.
The bishops’ conference warned that concentrating political authority within families could weaken political competition and limit opportunities for other qualified individuals seeking public office.
It clarified that its support for the initiative was not directed against any specific political family, party, candidate or public official.
“Our support is not directed against any particular family, political party, candidate, or public official. This initiative should not become an occasion for hatred, retaliation, or partisan division,” the statement said.
Call to Catholic institutions, laity
The CBCP encouraged Catholic educational institutions and dioceses to facilitate peaceful dialogue and assist those supporting the initiative.
In a direct appeal to the lay faithful, the bishops urged Catholics to integrate Gospel values into society by assessing the initiative and participating in the constitutional process.
Citing Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium” and encyclical “Fratelli Tutti,” the letter described politics pursued for the common good as “a lofty vocation and one of the highest forms of charity.”
The CBCP concluded its statement by calling for the constitutional provision against political dynasties to be put into effect.
“After almost forty years, the constitutional command against political dynasties should no longer remain merely an aspiration. The time has come to give it genuine meaning in law and in political life,” the statement said.
The citizen-led “Dapat Isa Lang” movement was launched in 2026 by the People’s Initiative Coalition Against Dynasty alongside civil society, religious and grassroots groups.
