THE Consultative Committee (ConCom) tasked by President Rodrigo Duterte to amend the 1987 Constitution has submitted the final draft of the proposed federal charter Monday, July 9.
Duterte had been pushing for a federal form of government due to inequality in the regions and to break down “Imperial Manila.”
The draft constitution will establish 18 federated regions that will be headed by a regional legislature, a regional executive, and a regional judiciary Negrosanon Federated Region (NFR)
is among the regions.
The proposed charter was designed to build a permanent and indissoluble nation anchored on the “pro-poor” federal government that is strong enough to hold together the various federated regions that are "socially, politically, and economically sustainable."
Arthur Aguilar, the lone Negrense member of ConCom, said that Duterte wants to step down after the plebiscite but they told him he has to wait until the end his term in 2022.
He said the committee will meet today, July 10, to include in the provision that will ban Duterte from seeking re-election in 2022.
Critics are concerned with the possibility that the proposed charter will allow him Duterte to hold office beyond his six-year term that will end in 2022.
The proposed charter will shift the present form of government which is presidential.
Duterte is expected to turn over the draft charter to Congress on July 23, when he delivers his State of the Nation Address.