Pinoys ready for federalism: Malacañang

FILE: Harry Roque, Jr. (PCOO Photo)

MANILA — Filipinos are ready for federalism because otherwise, they would not have elected President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said Saturday.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this remark following concerns that Filipinos were not yet ready for a federal form of government.

“Ito’y isang plataporma ni Presidente noong siya’y tumakbo bilang Presidente. Sabi niya, isusulong niya ang pederalismo – hinalal naman siya ng napakaraming Pilipino – so ang tingin ko, handa na ang Pilipino sa pederalismo. Otherwise, hindi dapat nilang hinalal si Presidente Duterte” (This is one of the platforms of the President when he ran for office. He said he would push for federalism. He was voted by majority of Filipinos. So I think, Filipinos are ready for federalism. Otherwise, they shouldn’t have voted for President Duterte), Roque said in a briefing in Zamboanga del Norte.

Roque said Duterte has relied on his Consultative Committee (Con-com) to be the main body to prepare a new constitution to be presented to Congress for approval.

“Kaya po binuo ng ating Presidente iyong Constitutional Commission na iyan ay dahil nais niya na ang Kongreso should be guided by the work output of the Constitutional Commission,” Roque said.

Duterte has tasked Con-com to review the 1987 Constitution.

“Sa lahat po ng mga pending proposals naman for federalism ay lahat po iyan ay open din na isumite sa Consultative Commission na binuo ng Presidente” (Out of all the pending proposals for federalism, they can be submitted to the Consultative Commission formed by the President), he added.

Roque said the President created the Con-com as he saw the need for one body to spearhead the several versions of the proposed federalism model.

“Noong walang Consultative Commission napakadami ngang mga bersiyon at walang nagkukumpas. So ang nais na mangyari ng Presidente na hayaan na itong consultative commission na ito na kumumpas at maghain ng aktuwal na mga rekomendasyon sa ating Kongreso ng mapabilis naman iyong proseso sa ating Kongreso” (When there was no Consultative Commission, there were so many versions but there was no body to lead them. So the President wanted to leave it to the Consultative Commission to lead and present the actual recommendation to the Congress to speed up the process),” Roque said.