Thursday, July 28, 2005
Federalism difficult to implement: Pablo
Federalism may be the call of majority of local leaders, but former Cebu governor Pablo Garcia warned that the proposal is not that easy to implement.
“Lisud ni pandayun. It’s difficult to set up a state within a government,” he said.
Foremost among the questions is how to divide the country into states, he pointed out, as this is where the interests of provinces may become distorted and clash.
Also, smaller provinces may not be able to survive by themselves, said the former governor.
However, Gov. Gwen-dolyn Garcia, in a press conference yesterday, believes that federalism is still the key to development.
Good for Cebu
She admitted, though, that this still has to be carefully studied as one could not just come up with immediate proposals.
“This will be good for Cebu, and as I am governor of Cebu, I have to think of Cebu first. On the other hand, we must also consider that we are connected in a sense that if we grow, such growth can only be sustained if our neighbors grow with us.”
Like her father Pablo, Governor Garcia agreed that a constitutional convention will dispel suspicions that the product of a constituent assembly will merely be pro-forma amendments endorsed by the present administration, “seeing indeed, that the Lower House is predominantly administration.”
Urgency
However, Gwendolyn also said that a constituent assembly is still the most expeditious way.
“In the end, we will need to consider whether it should be urgency that must prevail or the need to be able to present to the public a constitution that is a product of independent, qualified and credible lawmakers,” said the governor.
Earlier, some senators expressed opposition to the call to change the Charter, but Gwendolyn said they must realize that “certainly, it is not working the way it is.”
“The bicameral afforded the public soap operatic altercations between both Houses, sometimes even within a particular chamber, resulting in paralysis,” said Garcia.
President Arroyo is pushing for a parliamentary system, wherein the executive and legislative branches will be merged, and the country’s highest official will be elected only by the members of parliament.
Arroyo also said it is time to “take power from the center to the countryside that feeds it.”
If Pablo has his way, he said the country must be divided into states that will consider the places the three stars in the Philippine flag represent: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
Although these proposed states would be independent, he said a national government would be needed for concerns such as the armed forces, customs and foreign relations, among others. (JPM)
(July 28, 2005 issue)
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