Monday, May 12, 2008 Bacolod lawmaker files bill on federalism By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan and Gil Alfredo B. Severino
BACOLOD Representative Monico Puentevella is pushing for a shift to a federal form of government and has filed a proposed bill now being deliberated at the Lower House.
Puentevella is calling for amendment to the Constitution to establish a federal form of government through a constitutional convention or by convening Congress as a constituent assembly.
He proposed under House Resolution 15 that the Philippines be divided into 11 federal states. The Western Visayas where the province of Negros Occidental and Bacolod City belong will be one state.
Each federal state will have six senators or a total of 66 senators all over the country. The solon also said that under his proposal, Bacolod City will be divided into three congressional districts but with only two congressmen.
The 10 other states include Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Bicol, Mimaropa, Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Southern Mindanao and the State of Bangsa Moro. Metro Manila, meanwhile, would be constituted as the federal administrative region.
"This bill, if passed, would result to the shifting of the balance of power from imperial Manila to the regions, which will then be playing major roles in advancing all-round countryside and urban development," he added.
The lawmaker said under the present Constitution, the concentration of enormous powers in Manila has created only one center of finance and development in the country, resulting to a highly-centralized system of government.
He said this brought about a "spotty development" of the nation where preferential treatment has been given to localities whose officials are friendly with or have easy access to an incumbent administration.
"This lopsided arrangement has spawned a host of problems including massive nationwide poverty to runaway insurgencies and rebellions that feed on the societal inequalities," Puentevella said.
As per research, federalism is the theory or advocacy of federal political orders, where final authority is divided between sub-units and a center.
The research added that unlike a unitary state, sovereignty is constitutionally split between at least two territorial levels so that units at each level have final authority and can act independently of the others in some area.
The citizens thus have political obligations to two authorities.
The allocation of authority between the sub-unit and center may also vary. Typically, the center has powers regarding defense and foreign policy but sub-units may also have international roles, the research said, adding that sub-units may also participate in the central decision-making bodies.
Meanwhile, Puentevella also said he is now making a follow-up at the Health Regional Office 6 in Iloilo on his proposal to construct a 5-bed capacity hospital in the City.
"I hope that in the soonest time possible, this project will be realized considering that the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod is now very congested," the solon stressed. "(But) no exact area and time for construction yet."
