Freeze federalism
THE crafters of the federalism charter are getting impatient. They want the cabinet members to drop whatever they are doing and focus on getting the public to understand their proposal and accept it, maybe the way Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson is doing. Any cabinet members who raise concerns or seek clarifications should be removed because as “political agents” of President Duterte, they should follow blindly the product of this commission putting flesh to a presidential candidate’s campaign promise. Maybe they want to go the Cory Constitution, speedily adopted even when some provisions were for a parliamentary system while others were for a presidential form.
We should learn from the past. Federalism is so different from the system we have been born and grown in. Not only must there be an understanding of what it is all about; the citizen must know his rights and responsibilities in a federal system. How will the dynamics of the federal and the state interplay to provide a better life for the Filipino? Will there be a situation that the citizen will be overburdened by the demands of two entities where previously there was only one? In the present system, there has been the perception that Congress has become overly crowded. In a federal system the Senate will increase in numbers while there will be state legislatures making the process of legislation costlier and administratively more burdensome. An extensive and intensive information drive is required.
Eighteen regions seem too many. The constitutional commission must explain the parameters that led them to propose this number. Does each region have the synergy of resources that will allow it to develop with a minimum of support from the federal? If infrastructures are in place funded by long-term loans, which has the responsibility of repayment, the federal or the state? Are the government bureaucracy in place in the existing regions sufficient to carry out state functions and strong and competent to discharge these duties. Are the political groups mature enough to encourage democratic pluralism or will federalism lead to feudalism?
The division of responsibilities between federal and state as to the military and police matters, education at elementary, high school, and tertiary as well as vocational education, health concerns – primary to tertiary, social welfare issues, etc. must be well delineated. I recall under the Local Government Code where the funds went to the local government units but the executive departments still had to run the programs. It took some time to sort this out. I dread 18 regions demanding their shares but leaving it up to the federal or central government to continue to provide the services.
My biggest worry is for the business sector. During my stint as undersecretary of trade and industry and managing head of the Board of Investments, I spent a lot of time working with local government units for them to accept incentives for the enterprises and to avoid introducing local laws and ordinances which would make it more difficult for businesses to operate. My fear is that under federalism, business and industry may be seen as the goose that lays the golden eggand will be exploited by the states.
It’s time to freeze any moves to have the legislature acting as a constituent assembly to pass the federalism charter. Instead the members of the constitutional commission should spend at least one year engaging farmers, laborers, workers, businessmen, barangay officials, police, military, local government officials, government bureaucrats towards a better appreciation and understanding of the draft charter. It will be best for all.