BAGUIO City Mayor Mauricio Domogan has downplayed the attempts to revive the Cordillera Administrative Regional (CAR) bodies that are moving toward federalism.
“We cannot stand as one federal state,” said Domogan.
Domogan added the region is not ready for a federal type of government and pushed for unity towards the planned autonomy of the Cordillera has been pushing for.
The mayor said the CAR bodies in the past were not given funding from Congress that resulted to its deactivation, though no law abolished the said bodies.
Domogan added local government units are not yet capable financially and administratively to be transformed into federal states as most are still internal revenue allotment (IRA) dependent on funds.
He lamented CAR continues to receive the lowest share of IRA with around P14.87 billion or 3.05 percent of the total IRA in 2017.
The proposed reactivation of the CAR bodies composed of representatives from the various ethno-linguistic groups in the region is envisioned to operationalize President Rodrigo Duterte’s vision of federalism, the group composed of Jude Wal, former director of the Cordillera Executive Board; Mailed Molina, former Cordillera People's Liberation Army chairman; and Conrado Dieza Jr. forming a Task Force.
President Duterte, whose administration is pushing for a shift in federalism, has urged House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to speed up a Charter Change that would lead to a federal form of government.
Under the proposed shift, the country will be divided into states that will be formed from the existing regions. Each state will be granted autonomy.
It is believed, Cordillera autonomy will bring the national attention as well as the benefits of accepting and promoting cultural diversity through the formulation of multi-cultural policies for Indigenous Peoples (IPs).
Autonomy is aimed to enhance benefits and entitlements of government employees here establishing regional identity, and fast-tracking development, giving leaders the power to manage political affairs.
The quest for autonomy started after the signing of Executive Order 220 in 1987 which created the Cordillera Administrative Region with the Constitution providing that the autonomous region in the Cordilleras shall consisting of provinces, cities, municipalities and geographical areas sharing common and distinctive historical and cultural heritage, economic and social structures, and other relevant characteristics within the framework of the Constitution.
Despite promises from Duterte, the autonomy bill has yet to be approved in Congress.