MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte is still pushing for a shift to the federal form of government even if it was not mentioned in his Monday’s State of the Nation Address (SONA).
In an interview with the media after his SONA at the Batasang Pambansa, Duterte said he is still up for the federalism shift but he believes that it might not take place in his term.
“Federalism is good but there are certain things that you have to be very clear,” Duterte said during an interview with the media after his Monday’s SONA at the Batasang Pambansa. “It’s better left in conferences that are not allowed to be open to the public.”
The president added: “Sa isang provision lang if there are a lot of complaints. A lot of pros and cons. Mahihilo ka. So better, you just talk it among yourselves and present it to the public ‘yung package na completed.”
Duterte has been pushing since the start of his term for a shift to a federal from the current presidential form of government as a means to address national economic and power imbalances.
DILG held several “federalism summits” in cities nationwide in an advocacy campaign that aimed to bring the issue down to grassroots communities and help ordinary citizens understand the concept of federalism.
Duterte’s proposed shift has yet to pass Congress, which is dominated by his allies, despite amendments proposed by the Consultative Committee chaired by former Chief Justice Reynato Puno./PN
