Instead of writing long essays
which most millennials of this meme-driven generation will just scan through
without thoroughly reading it, I’ve decided to do a question-and-answer format
for this blogpost.
For those unaware how a
federal system works, a brief Google search will not hurt. It’s basically a
system wherein a country is composed of states that share power with the
overall, federal government.
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Do you want the Philippines to become a federal republic?
Yes with reservations.
However, the current political situation may still seem volatile given that the
new Duterte administration has just been sworn in. A lot of work must be done
to clear the path towards a legal, publicly supported constitutional change
that favors federalism. Corrupt governors and their lackeys must be removed
first. In 2009, I’ve started to write novellas regarding the transformation of
the Philippines into an implicitly federal state with a ceremonial monarch as
head of state.
Do you think federalization will solve poverty?
Not necessarily. It still
depends on the leadership of the leaders of the new states and their propensity
to adapt suitable economic policies to develop their state.
Do you agree with former Senator Nene Pimentel’s eleven proposed states?
Majority yes. Although if it
were me, the Bangsamoro region should consider the internal differences between
the Tausugs and the Maguindanaons. Should they agree to unify, then I think the
creation of a powerful unifying Bangsamoro Sultanate must be established
following sound Islamic doctrine. If not, then the Sulu Sultanate and the
Sultanate of Maguindanao must be restored, respectively.
What other things do want to see in a federal Philippines?
Collectivization and sustainable
development. The problem is pre-Hispanic Philippines had no unified government,
owing to our archipelagic geography. Federalization should impart a collective
sense of national pride (not the shallow Pinoy pride/pinoy prayd/Peenoise)
towards collective development. Rifts between Philippine ethnic groups may
sprout out, but it is not a problem in neighboring Malaysia I think. If
Malaysia, a country with 137 languages among its 13 states appears to be
united, why not the Philippines with around 120 languages? The Komisyon ng
Wikang Filipino (Commission on the Philippine Language) should realize the
ineffectiveness of trying to merge non-Tagalog vocabulary into a Tagalog-based
national language called Filipino. No matter how hard they try to enrich the vocabulary,
the code-switching trend (Tagalog and English) cannot be easily
regulated/moderated unless measures are taken by both the government and the
number one Filipino grammar violator – the media. Instead of a commission
focusing on an semi-artificial Filipino language (a register or glorified
version of Manila Tagalog), it should focus on enriching and regulating all
Philippine languages.
So in your opinion, what are the steps necessary to fully federalize
the Philippines?
Step by step? I would…
- Educate Filipinos regarding federalism and its differences with a unitary form of government. (Unbiased as possible)
- Gather allies congress and promote federalism in order to convince them to fill bills and resolutions for charter change
- Clear the path by focusing on weeding out corrupt local government officials in the provinces.
- Subdue terrorist groups while embarking on a propaganda mission to make the people in conflict-ridden areas in Mindanao that the government is not the enemy. Negotiate with those who want to negotiate, making sure they are really fighting for an ideology.
- Ensure peace treaties with insurgent groups who show willingness to negotiate (follow what Indonesia did to the insurgency in Aceh). This is a vital step and must be done at all cost.
- Follow constitutional provisions on charter change.
As a simple citizen, I would like to say that I am inclined to support the federalism plan of the current Duterte administration as long as major insurgent groups will be pacified first.
