Stressing that a “cultural change” should come first, Sen. Richard J. Gordon warned Congress against front-loading passage of an enabling law paving the way for the shift to a federal form of government favored by the Duterte administration.
In a statement issued on Monday, Gordon signaled readiness to block any move to railroad early approval of a federalism bill in Congress, which is set to reconvene next week.
“Shifting to federalism should not be a legislative priority this year, since the country is not ready for such a transition,” he said, adding, “more than shifting to federalism, in which the country would be divided into autonomous states…what the country really needs is a cultural change.”
The senator asserted that even if Filipinos were to vote in favor of the shift to federalism, “the country will remain the same if the government will still be run by the same people”.
He added: “This is like a new society with the same old faces. It would appear as a new society, federal government, but those running it are the same people. So, what we need is cultural change in the way we run the government.”
For instance, Gordon pressed for immediate reforms in the country’s electoral system, so candidates with leadership abilities who do not have sufficient campaign funds will have the same chances of getting elected as well-funded candidates.
“I want to change the electoral system. Unless we do it, how can you change,” he asked. He said to advertise, a candidate needs P895,000 for 30 seconds of TV advertisement.
Moreover, Gordon proposed that the Commission on Elections hold televised debates in every region that would be government-funded, so that voters would know the candidates better, enabling them to choose elected public officials “with discernment”.