A federal Philippines is now a reality

I received an emailed letter from former senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Jr.  I’m publishing it here so that our readers would know that a Federal Republic of the Philippines is already near at hand. So here’s Pimentel’s letter that he wrote to the Chairman of the Constitutional Committee for the adoption of a federal system of government for the Philippines. Remember, Pimentel and I are not far distant from our goal of achieving a Federal Philippines.

“Mr. Chairman, Distinguished Colleagues:

“In general, I approve of the proposed recommendations of our Constitutional Committee for the adoption of the Federal Constitution for our Republic. The recommendations, among other things, now place the right of our people to modernize our country and develop themselves at the doorsteps of the citizens of our Republic who are residing in the proposed Federated Regions. And with the Federated Regions benefitting not only the majority of Christians of this country, but also our Muslim brothers and sisters in the BangsaMoro areas in Mindanao and the Indigenous Peoples in the Cordilleras, Palawan, and other parts of the county, I am confident that law and order, leading to peace and development will follow as a matter of course.

“And this without sacrificing the responsibility and duty of the national federal government to protect the security and integrity of our national territory.

“Among the more outstanding provisions recommended for inclusion in the new Constitution are the articles that assure our people actual and speedy delivery of justice. For delay in the delivery of justice is one of the most pressing problems of our land. And without justice, our living lives worthy of human beings would be impossible.

“Hence, I vote affirmatively for the said recommendations.  In this connection, may I thank the President for making it possible for me at this stage of my life to participate in this singular task of formulating the new basic law of the country. I also thank our distinguished Chair for his judicious and sagacious steering of the ship of our Constitutional Committee for the Revision of our basic law through the sometimes turbulent seas of conflicting opinions of our distinguished colleagues.

“Also, it goes without saying that all of you, our colleagues in this crucial endeavor, deserve my and our people’s gratitude. For without your selfless and dedicated performance of our duties here as members of this Constitutional Committee, we would not have been able to come up with the proposed draft of our fundamental law that we approved today.

“But in order to shorten the proceedings, with the permission, then, of our colleagues, I would like to expand the reasons, not only for my endorsement of the proposals, but also of some of my reservations - in writing later. Salamat po.

Nene Pimentel, Jr.”

*  *  *

Yesterday was the beginning of the future of Metro Cebu when the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corp. (CCLEC) started its construction. This bridge will bring the Municipality of Cordova so close to Cebu City that on a good drive, it would take only less than ten minutes to reach Cordova from downtown Cebu City. Of course CCLEC head Allan Alfon has not yet told me where the link from the CCLEC to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport will be passing by, but for sure this will need a flyover to cross from M.V. Patalingjug Avenue to go to the airport quickly.

But as Allan Alfon told me when I interviewed him on my TV show, the construction of this third bridge will take three years. Indeed, the majority of this construction is a road likely to cross towards Cordova. But the tricky part is when the bridge lands on the side of Cebu City. One thing that I can predict would happen is that Cordova is going to become a very close place to Cebu City. But at this point, may I already suggest to Mayor Sitoy of Cordova that they have three years to widen their main roads. If they don’t widen their main roads, then the new traffic entering Cordova will only create massive traffic jams that Cordova doesn’t need. So they should act on this as soon as possible.

*  *  *

For email responses to this article, write to [email protected]. His columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.