Clear enough
Two out of three Filipinos are not in favor of charter change at present. That’s almost 67 percent. That’s not all. Sixty-two percent also do not favor a shift to federalism, the type of government being pushed by the administration and its allies today. In other words, Filipinos do not want to change or amend the Constitution, and do not want to change the kind of government to federalism. These are the results of the latest survey done on the two issues.
Let us put them in numbers to get a much clearer picture. If the Philippines has a population of 100 million people, then 67 million do not favor charter change, while 62 million do not want a shift to federalism. If that is not clear enough, then I don’t know what is.
The administration may say that the reason many do not want a shift to federalism is because most do not know what it really is all about. And they are right in saying so. According to the same survey, 74 percent have little or no knowledge about federalism. It is not easy for people to grasp what federalism is all about in a short amount of time, especially when people have been used to the same kind of government since the independence of the Philippines. I will not lie that federalism does have its merits, but there are also some drawbacks, even dangers, especially with the culture of politics the country has.
And this is what the people see. Who are actively pushing for charter change and federalism? The political allies of Duterte. Who are proposing no elections in 2019? The political allies of Duterte. Who wants the anti-political dynasty provision forwarded by the ConCom removed? The political allies of Duterte. Who wants term limits on politicians removed? The political allies of Duterte. People are seeing federalism as just a way for current politicians to extend their terms in office, in power actually. Federalism proposes to divide the country into 18 federal regions. Many see these regions as virtual kingdoms which will be ruled by political dynasties and clans. Questions also arise if the poorer regions can actually stand alone and develop themselves without help from the national government. Federalism is all about compartmentalizing the country, as opposed to the so-called “Imperial Manila.”
If the Palace says they are even more likely to work harder to inform and educate citizens about federalism, they cannot do so in the little time that Duterte’s close allies would like do. These big issues cannot be force-fed to the people, who will more likely spit it out than digest at leisure. With the telling results of the latest surveys, it is more likely the former. May this serve as a caveat to those who may want to convene Congress into a Constituent Assembly, if only to get what they want, leaving the pulse of the people out of it.
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