VideosForum on Autonomy and Federalism by Senator Pimentel | June 15, 2017  |  Malcolm Hall of the UP-College of Law, Diliman, Quezon City

Senator Pimentel delivered his keynote speech entitled, “Federalizing the Philippines”. He began by posing the question, “Why is it necessary to go federal and why not just improve on the local government devolution powers which was done in 1990?” He then argued that the concentration of powers in the central government hampers the speedy development of the nation, citing the response during the Yolanda crisis as an example. He then suggested the adoption of a Federal System with presidential form, which according to him is “concrete, doable, and practical.” Before discussing the specific details of his proposed system, Sen. Pimentel urged the audience to familiarize themselves with the disputed territories within our country, as these would be important in creating the proposed federal states.

 

In adopting a Federal form of government, Sen. Pimentel reminded the audience that the nation would still be under one constitution, armed forces, national police, monetary system, flag, foreign policy, and one basic educational curriculum. The number of Senators, for Sen. Pimentel’s ideal version of Federalism, would also increase to 87 (6 senators per state, 6 for Metro Manila, 9 for OFWs), considering the increasing Filipino population. For the Judiciary, the structure of the Supreme Court would be retained, and courts should resolve cases following constitutional deadlines, ensuring the effective delivery of justice. The seats of power would also be spread around the nation, as the Federal Executive Department would remain in Metro Manila, while the Federal Legislative Department and Federal Supreme Court would be moved to Central Visayas and Northern Mindanao respectively.