[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Iloilo councilors gird for federal form of gov’t ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
ILOILO City – Some 270 councilors under the Philippine Councilors League (PCL)-Iloilo attended a seminar-workshop on federalism at a hotel here recently.
“The Constitution may soon be amended and the form of government changed. It is therefore important that we know about this, kapin pa sa mga legislators in the municipal level,” said Cong. Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr. (3rd District, Iloilo). He helped facilitate the seminar.
The resource speakers were Dr. Clarita Carlos of the University of the Philippines’ Political Science Department and Romulo Miral, deputy secretary general of the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Office of the House of Representatives.
Carlos discussed politics reforms, federalism and decentralization while Miral talked about federalism and local governance (political, fiscal and intergovernmental relations).
Defensor admitted that he himself could not say yet if he would go for federalism. There is “no exact formula” for it, he said.
“Ours will not really be the federalism of another country because we have to make our own. So you can only say na in favor ka sa federalism kun makita mo na kun ano ang ginaplastar nga organization. Impotante lang nga, in general, may idea kita kun ano ina,” Defensor said.
By Dec. 8, Defensor said, the Senate will start discussions on Charter Change while in the Lower Houses, lawmakers already passed a resolution convening the House of Congress as a constituent assembly.
“So surely maybe in January basi maumpisa ina,” he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte asked Congress to fast-track moves to put in place a federal system of government, stressing that this was the key to bringing peace in conflict-ridden Mindanao.
Duterte said he wanted the federal system put in place during his term, given the trust placed on him by people from Mindanao.
He also reiterated his promise that he would step down even before his term ends to pave the way for this new system, but it must also have a strong President./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
