Besides bringing peace in war-torn Mindanao, the incoming leadership of the House of Representatives on Friday said a federal system of government may help the Philippines attain inclusive economic growth.
Incoming Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez of Davao del Norte said the federal form of government will help reduce poverty in urban-population centers and the countryside.
“Federalism will allow the autonomous regions to realize their full economic potentials as self-governing units that are directly answerable to their respective constituents. The key word is ‘divergence,’” he said.
“As for fear that poor regions, like Samar and Leyte, may suffer from federalism, we will assure the people that we have already devised a plan wherein such provinces shall be grouped with better-performing provinces in order to help them strive and attain a better-performing region,” Alvarez added.
“Hence, each autonomous unit will be allowed to bloom with respect to, among other areas, the economy, culture and religion,” he said.
In the Philippines’s current presidential form of government, all funds are centralized in the National Capital Region, and provinces need to remit their income in the National Treasury, while federalism means autonomy in the government rules per provinces with independent taxation and economic system.
Under the federal form of government, provinces will no longer remit their income to the National Treasury but they are required to give a percentage of their income to the national government. A new Constitution is also needed if federalism will push through.
Alvarez, who filed concurrent Resolution 1 calling for the creation of a constitutional convention (Con-con) to effect the shift to federalism, said he hopes that by December this year a law may already be passed to convene the Con-con.
He said that, under his proposal, no member of the House of Representatives and the Philippine Senate shall run or be appointed as a Con-con delegate.
Alvarez said if a delegate is previously holding public office, he or she shall be considered resigned once he or she files his or her certificate or candidacy or upon appointment to the Con-con.
The delegates will also be prohibited from representing any political party or group, or whatever group of any nature.
“All delegates shall render a full disclosure of their financial and business interests, and notify the Con-con and Congress of a potential conflict of interest that may arise from the discharge of their duties as delegates to the convention,” Alvarez said.
All delegates will enjoy parliamentary immunity conferred by existing laws to congressmen, and they will not receive salary, except for per diems, each time they attend a Con-con session, the lawmaker added.
Alvarez said once a federal system of government is in place, there would be no need for a Bangsamoro basic law, because Muslim Mindanao will already have its own autonomous region coexisting with other autonomous regions.
Under the Constitution, amendments to the 1987 Charter could be introduced through either of these three modes: a duly-elected Con-con, Congress convening itself into a constituent assembly or a people’s initiative.
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Every positive results we are hoping depends on what kind of federalism our congress will formulate… and still largely depends on the maturity of the voting public to elect qualified leaders. I hope there is question and answer portion where representative can ask the head of state about every issue… just like in the UK.. its good for transparency