Saturday, August 18, 2007 Speak out: Federalism is key By Percival de la Torre
RECENTt news reports vis-à-vis the political state of affairs has both bad and good news.
The bad news is the reconciliation between the so-called “conscience block” led by Rep. Pablo Garcia and Speaker Jose de Venecia’s rainbow coalition despite the former group’s categorical avowal of charting an independent course in the House after Garcia’s failed bid for the speakership.
Garcia’s group being subsumed under the wing of the majority coalition has virtually assured the administration of an overwhelming majority in the House that most likely would again call for a Constituent Assembly (Congress convening as a constituent body) to propose amendments or revision of the 1987 Constitution with the main agenda of setting up a parliamentary system of government by 2010.
The good news is the ongoing rumor that five senators, namely Richard Gordon, Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Mar Roxas and Manny Villar are reportedly aiming for the presidency in 2010.
Surely, these senators will block the shift to parliamentary system since, for all intents and purposes, that would mean not only giving up their presidential ambition but also handing over in a silver platter the post of prime minister to a key leader of either Lakas CMD or Kampi.
In the light of this potential conflict between the House and the Senate that would be detrimental to the common good, I suggest that if Charter Change were to be carried out by Constituent Assembly or Constitutional Convention (election of delegates to a constituent body), we should retain the presidential system and create regional grouping of provinces that would be politically and economically independent from the federal government in Manila.
In other words, we should establish a Federal Republic of the Philippines.
Under this system, the federal government in Manila will be mainly responsible on national defense and foreign affairs.
On matters such as elections, taxes, police, education, public health, agriculture, natural resources, individual relationship and involving the family, system of private property, and all other institutions of modern society will be the responsibility of the regional state governments.
Without a doubt, federalism will be the key in ending the secessionist movement waged by our Muslim brothers since it will bring about their aspiration to establish an Islamic state.
Albeit, not as a separate state but one linked with other states by the constitution of the Federal Republic.
And there will be no more provincial governments to speak of that in effect will significantly reduce an overstuffed bureaucracy.
For example, the Central Visayas regional state composed of Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor will have only one state governor as its executive official who is to be elected by popular vote in the region.
The members of the regional state legislative assembly will also be elected by popular vote but only by the electorates in their respective political areas.
Population will be the main basis of representation in the assembly.
The term of office of the state governor and members of the state assembly shall be four years and neither shall serve for more than three terms.
