A federal Philippines is now a reality

I received an emailed letter from former senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr. I’m publishing it here so that our readers would know that a Federal Republic of the Philippines is already near at hand. So here’s Pimentel’s letter that he wrote to the Chairman of the Constitutional Committee for the adoption of a federal system of government for the Philippines. Remember, Pimentel and I are not far distant from our goal of achieving a Federal Philippines.

“Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Colleagues:

“In general, I approve of the proposed recommendations of our Constitutional Committee for the adoption of the Federal Constitution for our Republic. The recommendations, among other things, now place the right of our people to modernize our country and develop themselves at the doorsteps of the citizens of our Republic who are residing in the proposed Federated Regions. And with the Federated Regions benefitting not only the majority of Christians of this country, but also our Muslim brothers and sisters in the BangsaMoro areas in Mindanao and the Indigenous Peoples in the Cordilleras, Palawan, and other parts of the county, I am confident that law and order, leading to peace and development will follow as a matter of course.

“And this without sacrificing the responsibility and duty of the national federal government to protect the security and integrity of our national territory.

“Among the more outstanding provisions recommended for inclusion in the new Constitution are the articles that assure our people actual and speedy delivery of justice. For delay in the delivery of justice is one of the most pressing problems of our land. And without justice, our living lives worthy of human beings would be impossible.

“Hence, I vote affirmatively for the said recommendations. In this connection, may I thank the President for making it possible for me at this stage of my life to participate in this singular task of formulating the new basic law of the country. I also thank our distinguished Chair for his judicious and sagacious steering of the ship of our Constitutional Committee for the Revision of our basic law through the sometimes turbulent seas of conflicting opinions of our distinguished colleagues.

“Also, it goes without saying that all of you, our colleagues in this crucial endeavor, deserve my and our people’s gratitude. For without your selfless and dedicated performance of our duties here as members of this Constitutional Committee, we would not have been able to come up with the proposed draft of our fundamental law that we approved today.

“But in order to shorten the proceedings, with the permission, then, of our colleagues, I would like to expand the reasons, not only for my endorsement of the proposals, but also of some of my reservations - in writing later. Salamat po.

Nene Pimentel, Jr.”