Shift to federalism: Plebiscite in 2019 seen

Incoming president Rodrigo Duterte’s preferred speaker eyes three years for shifting the form of government from presidential to federal.  

Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez said the 17th Congress would target the shift to federalism by 2019, so that “hopefully by midterm elections, it is submitted to the people for plebiscite.”

The remaining three years would be used for the transition to the new government.

Former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. previously said that the first two years of the Duterte administration could be used to change the form of government and the remaining four years would be for the implementation of the new Constitution.

“The first two years should be devoted to revising the Constitution either by constitutional convention or constituent assembly. Under a determined leadership, it can be done in two years. The next four years will be the implementation of the new constitution,” Pimentel said.

But Alvarez explained that he has reservations in shifting to federalism in just two years because of time constraints. The earliest time would be during the midterm elections.

Under the present Constitution, the president enjoys a six-year term.

Alvarez said it would depend on the framers of the new Constitution if they would still allow term extension. But he clarified that Congress would still limit the term to six years as stated under the present Constitution.