Poe: No need for federal gov’t if only to empower LGUs

SOURCE: Panay News

MANILA – Grace Poe stressed that there was not enough information that would enable Filipinos to understand better the proposed shift to a federal system of government.

At the same time the senator pointed out that a federal system is not at all necessary if the aim is only to empower local governments.

Most Filipinos have no idea of what federalism is, she said.

Sixty-two percent of Filipinos oppose the proposed shift to a federal system of government, the latest Pulse Asia survey showed.

“Para bigyan natin ng kapangyarihan ang mga local government, hindi naman kailangan ng federal form of government,” Poe said.

President Rodrigo Duterte has been pushing for the federal system, which he believes would break the centralization of powers in the capital under the unitary system.

He had said federalism will spur economic development in all regions and not just in “imperial” Manila, and help attain peace in Mindanao.

“Talagang kulang ang impormasyon na ibinibigay nila (Duterte administration) at malaki ang magiging dagok nito,” said Poe. “Sa tingin ko mas lalong magkakawatak-watak ang atin bayan.”

But the senator said she is willing to listen to the argument of the proponents.

“Pakinggan muna natin ang kanilang argumento dito pero sa tingin ko medyo malabo dito[ma-aprubahan] sa Senado,” she said.

Duterte had formed the Consultative Committee that reviewed the 1987 Constitution.

Earlier Sen. Panfilo Lacson had claimed that the Senate would not make any move that would amend the Constitution.

Lacson had said the proposed Charter change was just “waiting to be cremated” in the Senate.

After a salacious video tackling federalism that Presidential Communications aide uploaded on Facebook went viral, Lacson said of the proposed Cha-cha: “…the ashes should be thrown far, far away from the Philippines’ 7,107 beautiful islands.”