(Eagle News) — Federalism – and the more equitable distribution of powers to the country’s regions – is the answer to the national progress that everybody has been yearning for in the Philippines.
This was the gist of former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr.’s presentation at the forum on federalism sponsored by the development academy of the Philippines’ council of fellows at the Virata Hall of DAP Pasig.
Under Pimentel’s proposal for a Federal System, the country shall be divided into 11 federal states. These are to be created basically out of the administrative regions already existing. These will include four federal states in Luzon – the federal states of northern Luzon, central Luzon, southern tagalong, and Bicol; four in the Visayas – the federal states of eastern Visayas, central Visayas, western Visayas, and MINPAROM composed of Mindoro, Palawan, Romblon and Marinduque; and three in Mindanao – the federal states of northern Mindanao, southern Mindanao, and Bangsamoro, which could be further subdivided into mainland Muslims composed of Maranaws, Maguindanaos and subtribes, and off-shore island Muslims or those in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
Metro manila, meanwhile, will be converted into a federal administrative region covering 16 cities and one municipality similar to Washington, D.C. in the United States, New Delhi in India or Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, all of whom are using the federal system of government, secessionist movements.
Pimentel said that the secessionist movements of various Moro groups that have existed since the Spanish era could finally be solved not by force but by federalizing the country and converting the autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao into a Bangsamoro federal state.
Pimentel prefers presidential form of gov’t under federal system
Pimentel prefers retaining a presidential form of government under a federal system where a president and vice president will be elected nationwide but in tandem for a term of six years without reelection. Both officials, however, will now be required to be college degree holders.
A significant increase in the number of senators who will be elected by their respective federal states, however, will take place, with six senators for each of the 11 federal states being elected, another six for metro manila and nine for overseas Filipinos for a total of 72.
70% share will go to provinces, cities, municipalities, barangays; 30% goes to fed state gov’t
Some 70 percent of the federal states’ share will go, on the other hand, to the provinces, cities, municipalities and barangays while 30 percent will go to the federal state government.
Under this formula, Pimentel said the shares of the provinces, cities; municipalities and barangays will be bigger than what is currently provided for under the local government code.
