By Butch Fernandez & Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz
President Duterte has issued marching orders to his partymates in the ruling PDP- Laban, which now controls both chambers of Congress, to fast-track passage of legislation authorizing the Senate and the House of Representatives to convene as a constituent assembly (Con-ass) and amend the Constitution to pave the way for a shift to federalism.
“Toward this end, President Duterte has tasked PDP-Laban to take the lead in advocating for a federal system of government in our country,” Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said at a Senate forum on Wednesday, indicating the presidential directive also covered Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez, also a PDP-Laban stalwart.
Pimentel disclosed that in compliance with President Duterte’s directive, “the PDP-Laban convened our leaders from across the country in a conference on federalism and charter change to consult them about moving forward in building a federal republic.”
“We have also convened study groups composed of experts, scholars and practitioners to help us craft our party position,” he said.
Speaking at the same forum, former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr., PDP-Laban founder, backed President Duterte’s decision to ask lawmakers to craft the proposed constitutional amendment as a Con-ass, agreeing that the other option to elect delegates to a constitutional convention (Con-con) to do the job is more costly for the taxpayers.
“The original idea to convene a Con-con is expensive. The same thing can be done by lawmakers in a constituent assembly,” Pimentel Jr. told reporters after the forum.
He added that in order to obviate the danger that lawmakers’ interests will prevail over the people’s interests, the enabling law should “obligate holding public hearings on the federalism issue all over the country to get the sense of the people.”
Pimentel Jr. said explaining the federalism issue “needs to be done by its advocates, because the voters should understand what federalism is all about,” adding that the process should be started now.
In his speech, Pimentel III acknowledged that federalism’s complex nature demands careful study: “Scholars contend that there is not one model in the world that fits all. Each country must discern its own version of federalism according to peculiar conditions of their societies. Therefore, it is important to learn from the experiences—whether good or bad—of existing federations.”
Pimentel III conceded they “do not see federalism to be the cure-all to all our problems.”
“In fact, there is no cure-all to our nation’s ills. Federalism is not a perfect system; but it may be the answer to the country’s lingering problems rooted in our country’s multicultural nature,” he said.
“Maybe it is time to recognize the Filipino identity as a ‘diversity of identities’ and not one single monolithic artificial construct. I submit that it is the recognition of differences that make communities prepared to embrace a common identity with others.”
He added that in the end, federalism is not the only step after devolution “but it is the next logical step, if the Philippines chooses to further decentralize.”
The Senate president asserted that the people’s decision on the issue “should be well-informed, well-thought of and participatory.” In the ultimate analysis, federalism is a covenant that is made by citizens and, ultimately, the decision to federalize should reflect the will of the people who choose to unite amid their diversity.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives will increase the number of its deputy speakers from five to at least 12 in preparation for the federalism form of government.
House Majority Leader and PDP-Laban Rep. Rodolfo Farinas of Ilocos Norte, in a news conference, said the 12 deputy speakers will be chosen from 12 federal-like states that will be created from the country’s current regions.
According to Farinas, the lower chamber is trying to divide and group themselves in harmony to the proposed federal states as a way of initially determining their political viability.
“Since the thrust of the Duterte administration is into federalism, we look at the possible creation of states under a federal system of government. So we came up with 12 [deputy speakers]. We will see. Perhaps, we could try if its viable here in the House. We will divide ourselves into 12 like states to see everything,” Farinas said after the lower chamber’s recent caucus.
The leadership of the lower chamber is planning to change the country’s form of government from presidential to federal system via Con-ass.
“Initially, we will have 12 [like] states [from these 12 deputy speakers] under a federal system, among these states are Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Metro Manila or National Capital Region, Southern Tagalog and Bicol. With these we clearly divided the Luzon island,” he added.
“In the Visayas there are three—western, eastern and central—while there are also three in Mindanao—western eastern and central plus the Bangsamoro. So in total, we have 12 [like states],” he said.
Meanwhile, the majority leader assured that poor regions would not be independent states under the new proposed government.
“We have to regroup them [regions] in such a way that there are rich and poor. They are saying Region 8 will not be able to survive, or perhaps, Region 9 as we know it, they will be regrouped,” he added.
Also, Farinas said these deputy speakers will get their region’s concerns on the plan to change the 1987 Constitution.
Farinas said the lower chamber will still hold another caucus to gather other ideas on how the states will be divided.