?Movement Against Dynasties? launched in historic Baclaran Church

Another civil society group has joined the snowballing campaign against the rule of powerful political families, launching a signature drive in Baclaran Church, where similar movements that changed the course of the country?s history had been initiated decades ago.

The Movement against Dynasties (MAD) staked out all day at the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Redemptorist in Para?aque City until the last Mass was held, drawing registered voters ? from young to old, residing as far as Zamboanga City ? to sign in their petition.

The initiative petition, which is hoping to gather 5.2 million signatures, the minimum requirement of Republic Act 6735 or the People?s Initiative and Referendum Act, is hoping to result in the adoption of a national law prohibiting political dynasties in the country.

The target signatures, which should come from 250 legislative districts, appears impossible to achieve.? But it is possible with the help of the Church, which has more parishes than legislative districts in the country, according to MAD co-chair Danilo Olivares.

A similar move was launched last week by the Bicol Autonomy Movement, hoping to gather at least 1.5 million voter signatures by the end of April this year or a couple of weeks before the May 13 automated midterm elections.

?[We are going to ask the help] of the parishes all over the country so in one sweep, we can easily reach the 5.2 million signatures? imagine, a people power through the churches,? said Olivares in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Sunday.

He said the group dared to take the first step in the ?very long, long process? of enabling a law against political dynasties after the Catholic Bishops? Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), for the first time in recent history, came out with a? pastoral statement denouncing the rule of the few powerful political clans in the country.

In the pastoral statement, the CBCP vowed to back any popular initiative to pass a law that would put an end to political dynasties, which the proliferation of such ?breeds corruption and inhibits general access to political power, which is a fundamental mark of democracy.? [More]

SOURCE:

INQUIRER

Source: http://philippines.ucanews.com/2013/02/18/%E2%80%98movement-against-dynasties%E2%80%99-launched-in-historic-baclaran-church/

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