Why the rush?
The participants learned so much from the two-day People's Conversation on Federalism sponsored by The Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and the Kaabag sa Sugbo. Among the lessons, the most important is this: after thorough collective study, reflection, and consensus, we Filipinos have to decide if we want change or not. If we do, we need to be clear about what type of political system change we want, why, when, and how.
Often pushed with motherhood statements, proponents plug that with Federalism, there will be more effective and equitable balance of center-local power and fiscal relations, local autonomy, wider and more active people's participation and representation, better accountability, greater appreciation of national unity despite diversity, among others.
Upon closer examination, many of the touted benefits of Federalism are already embedded in our laws and though imperfect and incomplete, the implementation has been initiated and has been continuing for decades.
As a nation we need to study, dialogue, and decide if we really want to shift to Federalism or retain our present political system and rectify, as best as we can, to equalize the control and distribution of power, wealth, representation, and participation.
We have much conversation to do among ourselves, communities, and sectors nationwide.
We have to seek expert opinion, not politicians' promises, about actual and potential benefits and costs of Federalism. Before we shift to a new system, we need time to study, dialogue, and decide what system is best for us all. This exercise will bind us stronger together in participating and deciding about what governance system is best.
However, Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin said that, following DU30's stated election promise to shift to federalism, the PDP-Laban dominated Congress is now working on the following timetable: by December 2017 - consolidate several existing drafts into their proposed Federalism model, mid-January 2018 - plenary discussions, by May 2018 - nationwide plebiscite, and by May, 2019 - elections of the new Federal Government officials!
The present Congress will act as a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) and not call for a Constitutional Convention (ConCon) -meaning the present Congress will be the ones to decide on constitutional reform or amendments, not a broader sector of Filipinos to decide the political fate of our Constitution.
More disturbing are the following PDP-Laban Federalism proposals: 1) Having 2 levels of government -Federal and Regional (11 proposed regions). 2) Executive power to be dispersed among the president, prime minister, the Cabinet, Parliament and the regional governments. 3) The president will be nationally elected, the prime minister with very strong powers will be nominated by the president, not elected by the people. 4) The Parliament will have the Federal Assembly (proposed 400 members -60 percent to be elected by plurality votes in Legislative Electoral Districts and 40 percent elected through proportional representation system of accredited national political parties and a Senate (total is 33 senators with three elected from each region) no longer allowed to initiate legislation but will be limited to reviewing bills passed by the Federal Assembly. Most distressing of all is 5) The president, Federal Assembly and the Senate (literally, including the present Congress) have a maximum of two five-year terms (10 years of rule by the same people).
Will we allow the present Congress, as Con-Ass, to be the ones to decide on changes in our constitution that will seriously impact us and our nation? Will we allow them to install the present Congress as the next Federal Assembly members for a maximum term of 10 years? No wonder, the congressional rush for their version of Federalism, not the Filipino people's version.
‘No wonder, the congressional
rush for their version of Federalism, not the Filipino
people's version.’