THE Consultative Committee (ConCom) tasked by President Rodrigo Duterte to review the 1987 Constitution will deliberate today the number of the federated regions under the proposed federalization.
Although the 17+1 federated regions, with Negrosanon Federated Region (NFR) already a consensus, there are some members of ConCom who would like a smaller number of federated regions, Negrense committee member Art Aguilar told SunStar Bacolod yesterday.
"We are proposing 17+1 Federated Regions to highlight NFR and if ConCom decides to make it smaller, at least we would make sure that the two Negros provinces would belong to only one region," Aguilar said.
Once the ConCom's draft is in place, NFR should be lobbied to the House of Representatives and the Senate, he said, adding that Duterte will have the final say.
He said that Negros Oriental has been showing strong support for NFR.
He said that ConCom will have a consultation on federalism in Dumaguete for Negros on June 17.
By the end of June, ConCom will submit the draft to the president, Aguilar said.
He said ConCom deliberated yesterday, May 29, the sharing of powers and will also touch on sharing of tax revenues.
ConCom member Eduardo Nachura, retired Supreme Court associate justice, earlier clarified the exact number is yet to be determined although 18 is the emerging consensus.
The issue, he said, was not settled last week because members presented different views, with some proposing 17 plus one region - corresponding to the existing 17 regions plus the Negros Island Region.
Other members, he added, are pushing to transform Metro Manila into a federated region just like with the other 17 regions nationwide.
Other members who proposed 18 regions, which consists of 17 existing regions plus the National Capital Region (NCR) as a sole administrative region with functions similar to that of Washington or Kuala Lumpur, he said.