Lawmakers take key step in shift to federal system

The Philippines’ House of Representatives yesterday approved a draft constitution that changes the country’s form of government into a federal system, a key step to the shift proposed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

The Senate still needs to deliberate and approve a similar measure, before national plebiscite can be scheduled for Filipinos to concur with the changes.

In the third and final reading of the proposed charter charge, 224 members of the House voted for the bill and 22 against, with three abstaining.

Under the new constitution, the Philippines will have a presidential-federal system of government, similar to the United States, where in federal states will be created from the current provincial subdivisions.

The president and vice president will have the same powers as the current system, but they have to be elected together.

The House and the Senate will also be retained, according to the draft.

Federal states will have the power to create their own sources of revenues and impose taxes, fees and charges.

Duterte has been pushing for the shift to a federal system to decentralise power and wealth from Manila, empower regional governments, and avoid neglect of remote areas.

The change would also support the implementation of a 2014 peace agreement with the largest rebel group in the southern region of Mindanao, which calls for the creation of a new autonomous entity.

Filipinos are generally wary of any moves to amend the constitution, which late dictator Ferdinand Marcos had used in the 1970s to prolong his stay in office.

Duterte, 73, has repeatedly denied wanting to be president longer than his term, which ends in 2022.