LOURJANE P.

BUERON 6:30-7:30PM
ECO1A

All of a sudden the buzzword in Mindanao is federalism. To a large extent,

this is due to the proposed enactment of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL),
which principally outlines the sharing of wealth and political power between
the central and regional governments. Many political leaders in Mindanao –
especially Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte – are taking their cue from this
and are saying that if the Moro people can be given autonomy, why not the
rest of the country through a federal form of government?

But what is federalism, and why do its supporters believe it is the answer to
the problems of the country?

First a definition: According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it is “a political

system that binds a group of states into a larger, non-centralized, superior
state while allowing them to maintain their own political identities.”

“Certain characteristics and principles are common to all successful federal

systems: a written constitution or basic law stipulating the distribution of
powers; diffusion of power among the constituent elements, which are
substantially self-sustaining; and territorial divisions to ensure neutrality and
equality in the representation of various groups and interests,” the dictionary
adds.

There are many forms of federalism, with the US model perhaps being the
most familiar to Filipinos. It is unclear what the recent Mindanao Leaders’
Summit on Federalism, organized by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, is
advocating, but it is useful to remember that in 2008 then-Senate Minority
Leader Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. had proposed a resolution that sought to
adopt a Federal Presidential Bicameral form of government.

Joint Resolution No. 10, which had the support of 13 senators, would have
created 11 autonomous regions and 11 centres of finance and development in
the Philippines. Under the proposal, there would be 11 states plus one federal
administrative region – Metro Manila – as the seat of the federal government.

The other states would be Northern Luzon (with Tuguegarao as capital),

Central Luzon (Tarlac City), Southern Tagalog (Tagaytay), Mimaropa
(Mamburao), Bicol (Legazpi), Eastern Visayas (Catbalogan), Central Visayas
(Toledo), Western Visayas (Iloilo City), Northern Mindanao (Cagayan de Oro),
Southern Mindanao (Davao City), and Bangsamoro (Marawi).

At the House of Representatives, Rep. Monico O. Puentevella filed House

Concurrent Resolution No. 15 on May 7, 2008, which supported Senate
Resolution No. 10.

One of the staunchest advocates of federalism, former University of the

Philippines President Jose Abueva, formed the Citizens’ Movement for a
Federal Philippines (CMFP) to campaign for a shift to a federal of
government. In a paper titled Some Advantages of Federalism and
 Parliamentary Government for the Philippines (Revised for June 29, 2005), he
listed eight advantages of the federal system:

1. The Federal Republic will build a just and enduring framework for peace
through 
unity in our ethnic, religious, and cultural diversity, especially in
relation to Bangsa Moro or Muslim Filipinos and our lumad/indigenous
peoples.
2. Decentralization and devolution cannot move further under the old unitary
system despite avowed goals expressed in the 1987 Constitution and the
Local Government Code.
3. The Federal Republic will empower our citizens by enabling them to raise
their standard of living and enhance their political awareness through their
participation and efficacy in elections and the making and carrying out of
government decisions at the regional and local levels.
4. The Federal Republic will improve governance by challenging and energizing
state and local leaders, entrepreneurs, and citizens around the country to take
hold of their destiny. Federalism will release them from the costly, time-
consuming, stifling, and demoralizing effects of excessive central government
controls and regulation in our traditional unitary system.
5. The Federal Republic will thus stimulate and hasten the country’s political,
economic, social, and cultural development.
6. Federalism, together with parliamentary government, will improve governance
by promoting the development of strong, united, disciplined, and program-
oriented political parties that are responsible and accountable to the people
for their conduct and performance in and out of power.
7. Metro Manila State will have a unified political structure that will integrate its
various cities and municipalities under the state assembly that combines
legislative and executive powers and authority. Unlike the state assemblies of
the other states, the mayors in Metro Manila will constitute the Metro Manila
State Assembly. The Metro Manila Governor and State Cabinet will direct and
coordinate the various metropolitan functions and services.
8. Gradually, the Federal Republic and its parliamentary government will
broaden and deepen democracy.
The CMFP had proposed the holding of a plebiscite early in 2007 to ratify the
proposed revision of the 1987 Constitution, so that the election in May 2007
would be for the officers in the 1987 Constitution as revised.
Unfortunately, it is precisely the need for amendments to the Constitution that
doomed the proposal. There was massive opposition to Charter Change
(Cha-Cha) because most people believed it would open the Constitution to
other amendments – specifically the removal of term limits for elected officials,
which would benefit then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. She was then
already becoming unpopular because of charges of corruption and of cheating
in the 2004 Presidential election, and she was widely believed to be
positioning herself to be the country’s leader even after her term’s end in
2010.