MANILA, Philippines – Eleven years after a consultative commission (ConCom) was formed to study amendments to the 1987 Constitution, its former members are backing the proposal of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to shift to a federal form of government.
Academicians and former members of the 2005 ConCom discussed the features of the proposed charter change during a conference organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Centrist Democracy Political Institute (CDPI) on Friday, June 10.
Lito Lorenzana, CDPI president and secretary-general of the 2005 ConCom, said that advocates of federalism have learned from the mistakes in previous attempts to change the Constitution.
"We knew why we failed in the past. We know how to succeed this time," Lorenzana said.
He added, "The question is no longer why change the system. The question now is, how do we change the system?"
In 2005, under the presidency of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, a consultative commission was formed to study and draft amendments to the 1987 Constitution, particularly on the shift from the current presidential form of government to a federal-parliamentary one.
In a federal form of government, autonomous regions have the authority to enforce policies for their own affairs, giving them power over their development plans and laws independent of the central government.
The central government will be focused on areas of national interest, like foreign policy and national security. (READ: Will federalism address PH woes? Pros and cons of making the shift)
Critics say the current unitary form of government is disadvantageous for regions because of the unfair distribution of funds between the local government and the national government.
Promoting federalism has been a key message in Duterte's presidential campaign.
Lorenzana said that the current unitary form of government fosters dependence on the president and retains the traditional patronage relationship. He added that it also stunts the development of regions, because the top-to-bottom approach of governance and policy-making makes the central government divorced from the realities on the ground.
He also listed several reasons why previous attempts to amend the Constitution failed. Back then, it was suspected to be a ploy to extend the term of the sitting president, and sponsors of charter change did not have the "passion and political will" to see it through.
But Duterte, Lorenzana said, could be the leader who can successfully push for this shift.
Features of a parliamentary system
Raul Lambino, acting secretary-general of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats, outlined several features of the proposed 2005 draft for the revision of the Constitution.
Under this proposal, members of parliament will have 5-year terms with no term limits. They are also required to be college graduates.
The executive power will be exercised by the prime minister who will be assisted by his or her Cabinet, whose members will be elected from among the members of parliament.
The president, meanwhile, will retain his status as head of state and commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces.
Lambino notes that the current presidential system has turned "very adversarial," where the executive and the legislative engage in rivalry and competition for power.
One such example of this are the congressional investigations of executive policies and actions, which Lambino says unnecessarily delays legislation.
In a parliamentary system, Lambino said that it would be easier to change the government because a vote of no confidence is enough to remove a prime minister.
He added that with the executive and legislative powers fused in a single entity, it would also result in efficient legislation.
To prevent politicians from jumping ship to different parties, the draft proposal would also ban elected members of parliament from changing their political party within their term of office.
To spread awareness about the pros of changing to a federal form of government, the former ConCom members plan to hold more forums in different cities in the Philippines to present the 2005 draft amendments. – Rappler.com