Philippines: GMA, JDV May have Hidden Agenda Behind Federalism Move — Pimentel

Pimentel said that the unitary system, characterized
by the over concentration of powers in the national
government, has spawned a lot of problems in the
country in terms of development and law and order.

“Under a highly centralized system of government,
there are areas in the country which necessarily have
to take a backseat, as it were, in the matter of
development. And the more developed areas of the
country are those that have representatives or
powerful personalities who have access to the
presidency or the authorities running the central
government,” he said.

Pimentel said these drawbacks or problems could be
better addressed in a federal system where the
component federal states will be autonomous by
themselves, making decisions without or with the least
interference of the central government, and relying
more on their own resources for their development.

In a couple of days, he said he will formally
introduce a resolution for the adoption of a federal
system which calls for the establishment of 10
component federal states in the country and making
Metro Manila as a special administrative region.

But by pushing for this proposal, Pimentel said it
does not mean that he and other proponents are
targeting 2009 or 2010 as the date when federalism
will be adopted.

“That is not my purpose. My purpose is to start an
honest-to-goodness discussion on the merits and
demerits of the federal system, by bringing it out
from the halls of Congress to the nooks and corner of
the land so that the people can participate and
hopefully understand what federalism is all about,” he
said.
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