Lawmaker calls for creation of TWG on ChaCha

File photo: Jess Escaros Jr./PNA photo)

MANILA—A lawmaker at the House of Representatives on Wednesday called for the immediate creation of a technical working group (TWG) which would consolidate and filter proposals to change the system of government from the present presidential bicameral form of government to federal presidential bicameral form.

Iloilo City Rep. Jerry Treñas said the early creation of a TWG would reduce the time that will be consumed on debates on the actual provisions to be included in the list of amendments that will be finally approved for deliberation either in a Constitutional Convention (Concon) or Constituent Assembly (Conass).

“We can actually reduce the time that will be consumed on committee hearings on the proposal for federalization if we already set the parameters on what to amend and what would be kept untouched even before we start deliberating on the proposal to amend the Constitution,” he said.

The Liberal Party lawmaker said he is fully supportive of the House Resolution filed by incoming House Speaker and Davao del Sur Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez which calls for the convening of a Constitutional Convention (ConCon) to pave the way for federalism.

“Just like Alvarez, I also think that there is a need to decentralize state powers from the central government by allowing ‘state governments’ to have administrative and fiscal autonomy,” Treñas said.

Under a federalized system, local government units have the discretion to channel their own funds toward their own development instead directing their revenues to the national government, which in turn gives back only a portion of their earnings through the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).

The Western Visayas lawmaker noted that in 2015, 35 percent of the national budget went to Metro Manila even if it represents only 14 percent of the Philippine population.

“Under a federal system, government states will be forced to work harder to raise their own revenues instead of depending on IRA and national government subsidy. Hence, they can focus on economic development using their core competencies and unique industries,” he said as he noted that his home region, for example, can flourish in the field of fisheries and aquaculture, tourism and horticulture.

“By providing administrative and fiscal autonomy to the country’s so-to-be created federal states, new growth areas outside of Metro Manila would be created. This would not only decongest Metro Manila’s population but would also solve traffic and pollution,” Treñas said.