A DRAFT for the federalist form of government from Mindanao is being readied by a seven-man group created during the recent Mindanao-wide Federalism Convergence Forum held last September 8 in Davao City.
Architect Florencio Gavino III, participant of the forum, during the Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum at The Annex events center of SM City Davao yesterday, bared that different participants from Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga, Caraga group, a delegate from Malacañang, lawyer Aries Albay and Lihuk Federalismo, among others, agreed to create the study group to incorporate all the results of the forum they had.
"Yung mga outputs na nakukuha sa forum i-incorporate na doon sa draft na iyon. A seven man people who will prepare the draft, we are given ten days. Kasama ako sa magda-draft," Gavino said.
He said that among the things the group agreed in the convergence forum is the establishment of five individual states that will have its own federal state laws and federal supreme courts.
Gavino said that Mindanao issues such as increase of taxes, agriculture, foreign trade, and concerns in economic zone were also included on their consultation.
Gavino expressed confidence that these five estates shall have economic viability, this aside from the fact that based on the research they did a federal state would cost an estimated amount of P220 billion each.
Also among the major tenets they will include in the draft is the creation of the unicameral system with one legislative body, wherein the prime minister will be appointed by the President of the Philippines.
They also suggested that a strong leader must be elected and a vice president be selected in a block process, and should be under the party of the president elect.
He also said that after this draft will form part of the constitutional commission that Undersecretary Peter Laviña identified as one of the ways the Malacañang will employ for the creation of the Federal Constitution.
Gavino said that 50 to 70 persons from different disciplines approved by Malacañang will form part of this constitutional commission that will craft the initial draft for the Federalism, and this draft will become a sort of bird's eye view of the legislators from the Upper House and the Lower House in the Constituent Assembly.