Pimentel, civil society groups hold pre-SONA
Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Nene” Q. Pimentel, Jr. yesterday led the civil society groups in
The forum, which entitled “Federalizing the
Pimentel has been pushing for charter change, through Constituent Assembly, said there is need to shift to federal form of government for the country to adopt with the call of the times.
At the end of his discussion, the senator presented his draft resolution pushing for change in the form of government, which highlighted two main reasons why the federal system is better than the present unitary system.
First, Pimentel said the federal system has the structures to “hasten the economic development among the various regions of the country by allocating power, which at present is concentrated in the central government, to the regions that will be converted to federal states.”
The devolved powers will allow the federal states to mobilize their resources for development without being hindered or controlled by the central government, he said.
Second, the senator said there is need to “dissipate the causes of the recurrent armed Moro challenges against the government and, thereby, lay the basis for a just and lasting peace in Central and Southwestern Mindanao.”
Pimentel has seen decentralization as a response to the Philippine dilemma on geography which makes it difficult in dealing with far-flung parts of the country. At present, he observed that administration and power is concentrated only in Manila which results to inequitable development among the different regions.
He pointed out that “federal system will help in the development of the nation by bringing the government closer to the people through administrative de-concentration and political devolution. It has been reasoned that this strategy will facilitate faster delivery of needed basic services and promote participatory governance.”
Some government officials also believe the federal structure will accelerate the country’s development and end the internal conflicts brought by separatist movements in Mindanao.
Pimentel said that under the federal system proposal, the Philippines will be divided into 11 federal states: four in Luzon, four in Visayas, and three in Mindanao.
During the open forum, one student asked Pimentel on what he expects from the SONA of President Gloria Arroyo.
“Ambot sa langaw! “Ang iya bitaw ‘Bangkang Papel,’ wala’y nahitabo. Nalunod na lang ang Sulpicio,” was Pimentel’s answer that draw laughter from the students.
He stressed that the biggest obstacle in pushing for the federal system is the people who need to be informed about the proposal. — Niña Chrismae G. Sumacot/WAB
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