THE Negrosanon Federated Region (NFR) is in under federalism.
This was stressed yesterday, July 9, by Arthur Aguilar, lone Negrense member of the Consultative Committee (ConCom) tasked by President Rodrigo Duterte to amend the Constitution, as he confirmed the president has accepted the draft when they submitted it yesterday at the Malacañang.
He added Duterte is amenable to it.
The only thing asked by the president, Aguilar said, is that he wants to end all the speculations that he would like to extend his term beyond 2022.
"The president even said that he wants to step down after the plebiscite but we told him that he has to wait until the end his term in 2022," Aguilar said.
He said the ConCom will have an emergency meeting today to include in the draft a provision that would bar Duterte to seek re-election in 2022, to end all speculations that he is interested in extending his term.
The ConCom expects the draft will then be endorsed by the president to the Congress.
Aguilar said federalism will shift the form of government from the present presidential form.
For his part, Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., who has been fighting for a separate region for the two Negros provinces, said federalism is very timely especially for NFR.
"We were the first Republic that stood against colonial power but sad to say that is already a thing of the past. We welcome federalism especially with the realization of NFR," he said.
Meanwhile, the federal constitution proposed by the ConCom was designed to "build a permanent and indissoluble nation."
Former chief justice Reynato Puno, head of the ConCom, said the "pro-poor" federal government being proposed was "strong enough" to hold together the various federated regions that are "socially, politically, and economically sustainable."
"In drafting this proposed Constitution, we were guided by one directive which you gave: do what is best for the people," Puno said in a keynote speech.
"And we assure you that the consultative committee did its work with a complete independence and unbiased by any partisan politics or by any elite interest," he added.
The draft federal constitution will establish 18 federated regions, including the Bangsamoro and the federation region of the Cordillera, that will be headed by a regional legislature, a regional executive, and a regional judiciary.
The proposed federal charter disallowed political dynasties up to the second degree; succession and holding of more than one position; and party switching.
"The draft constitution democratized our electoral process by prohibiting political dynasties that have long monopolized our elections," Puno said.
"At the same time, the draft constitution transformed political parties as mechanisms of citizen representation and democratic government. Under this draft constitution, political turncoatism is prohibited. Hence, political butterflies cannot flatter anymore from one political party to another political party," he added.
Under the proposed federal state, the federal government and federal regions would govern the people "less in competition but more in cooperation," Puno stressed.
The ConCom chair also said that the draft federal charter would strengthen the institutions of government to fight graft and corruption.
"The draft Constitution transformed the Ombudsman to a commission type of office in order to investigate and prosecute more effectively violations of our anti-graft law." (with reports from VoxPop Philippines)
