Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Nene” Q. Pimentel,
Jr. (PDP-Laban) today expressed suspicion that
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Speaker Jose de
Venecia, Jr. are riding on the proposed adoption of
the federal system to push their real objective: to
establish a unicameral parliamentary system.
Pimentel said he reacted with skepticism when the
President, at the height of the scandal over the
national broadband-ZTE project, suddenly revived the
federalism proposal. This sparked speculation that the
move was meant to divert attention away from the
controversies plaguing the Arroyo presidency.
He said both Mrs. Arroyo and De Venecia have not given
up the idea of shifting to a parliamentary system
because this would enable them to perpetuate
themselves in power. The President is barred for
running for reelection in 2010 while De Venecia is
obsessed with becoming prime minister.
“When they spoke of amending the Constitution, it was
primarily to adopt a parliamentary system of
government and they were backriding on the issue of
federalism,” Pimentel said.
“I suspect they have a hidden agenda to prolong
themselves in power.”
The senator from Mindanao said that he and his party,
Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan
(PDP-Laban), have been advocating the federalization
of the country since 1982 in order to achieve two
goals.
First, to dissipate the causes of Muslim unrest in
Mindanao. And second, to promote a more equitable
development policy for the country.
Pimentel, who attended the fourth international
conference on federalism in New Delhi, India last
week, said a federal system can be installed in the
Philippines while retaining the presidential form of
government just like in the United States.
“We can have a model like the US which is federal but
presidential. In other words, there is no need to
adopt a parliamentary system to fit into a federal
system,” he said.
The minority leader said one striking fact surfaced
during the New Delhi conference: “Federalism is not a
silver bullet that can solve all the problems of a
nation.”
Pages: 1 2
Federalism the Only Way to Break Deadlock in Peace Talks — Pimentel
PHILIPPINES: ADMINISTRATION URGED TO STICK TO AGENDA OF CHARTER CHANGE — SHIFT TO FEDERALISM
Charter Change Should Not Be a Ploy to Allow Arroyo to Run Again
Political Bloodbath Continues: Widow of Slain Activist Shot Dead
New Wave of Protests Against Charter Change Set in April
Comelec’s Automation to Worsen Election Fraud — Watchdog
2008: Another Bad Year for the Philippine Press
‘Unemployment Figures Wrong; Number of Jobless Higher’
‘Nicole Is Not the Enemy’
‘Nicole’: ‘My Conscience Bothers Me’
Why Globe Broadband Sucks Big Time
Is the Call Center Industry a Bright Spot for New Graduates?
6 Great Ways to Vent Your Frustrations
Eating Dirt Is Actually Good For Children
Australia Offers 150 Scholarship Slots for Philippines, Asia-Pacific
Why Globe Broadband Sucks Big Time

shara joy parayno: can you help me…? i want to continue my study.. i’m graduating this year and i want...
josé miguel: Our nation has also been continuouly raped by the continuous invasion of the Americans. How Nicole...
Atty.Charmaine Fajardo: Please email me if you are selling these Thailand AROD coconut dwarf variety or any other...
Jurisprudence: I do hope God will grant her a miracle! http://hubpages.com/ hub/Cory-Aquino-The- Real-Score
‘Martsa Kontra Cha-cha’ Set
What Are 1109, 9006, and 9369 in Arroyo’s Agenda?
Environmentalists Slam Arroyo’s Sellout of Lands to Foreigners
Recruiting Militants in Southern Thailand
New Round of Oil Price Hikes Hit
Greenpeace Water Patrol Dismantles Blockade
It’s Battle of Good Vs Evil, Church Leaders Say of Cha-cha Fight
Satur: Nograles to Blame for Dispersal of Peasant Camp-Out
Philippines: A Journalist on Army Target List, Another Shot, Possibly by Soldier
In the Philippines, Targeting Journalists
April 28th, 2008 at 10:11 am
[...] http://www.pinoypress.net/2007/11/14/philippines-gma-jdv-may-have-hidden-agenda-behind-federalism-mo… http://www.kas.de/proj/home/pub/69/2/year-2002/dokument_id-3228/index.html Quote of the Day: [...]