A MEMBER of the Consultative Committee (ConCom) tasked to amend the 1987 Constitution has expressed doubts that President Rodrigo Duterte will push federalism during his State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, July 23.
Arthur Aguilar, a member of ConCom, said as of this time, they have no idea if Duterte will include in his Sona the draft that they have submitted to him.
"We are also waiting. We will wait, but the President may already be full with the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and won't push with federalism anymore. We don't know," Aguilar said.
He also shared his observation that federalism could just be a fall back of the president to BBL.
Congress has already passed the BBL and would soon become a law.
Aguilar also admitted that the proposed federalism has divided the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The lower house, he said, is supportive of the move but the Senate is against the proposal.
"We have already submitted the draft. It depends if the President submits it on his Sona or how he will endorse it," Aguilar said.
He said the final decision on federalism would still depend on the Congress.
Aguilar also said he is not surprised with the opposition of former Chief Justice Hilario Davide and former Commission on Elections chairman Christian Monsod on the proposed federalism because they were the authors of the 1987 Constitution. (TDE)