IN ORDER to boost the economic potentials of provinces and to eliminate political dynasties, UST Rector Fr. Rolando De la Rosa, O.P. is personally in favor of the proposed federal government system in the country—but only if enacted after the Arroyo administration.
“I am personally for federalism, but I do not speak in behalf of the Dominicans,” De la Rosa told the Varsitarian. “I believe that charter change should not be done now, but it should be after the national elections.”
De la Rosa said that although changing the government system to federalism may help resolve the Muslim Mindanao secessionist problem, Filipinos will not take the rebirth of the Charter Change issue sitting down.
“No matter how good the government’s intention is for supporting Charter Change, I do not think the people will take it lightly,” De la Rosa said. “Why didn’t they (Arroyo administration) do it before hand?”
Moreover, he said that in a federal country, the regions will be more independent to progress on their own.
“Since we are very much centralized, the tendency is that the other provinces which have a lot of potentials to improve are not taken well care of,” he said.
De la Rosa added that because of centralization, it is usually Manila that gets most of the government’s attention and response.
However, he said that a centralized system of auditing must be observed, even if the regions are independent of each other.
Federalism may also abet political dynasties, De la Rosa warned.
“Although we may follow a federal system, political dynasties may still emerge. For example, Mindanao will be controlled by only one or two families, as well as in Ilocos or Pampanga,” De la Rosa said.
A certain scheme of term limitations must be enforced to prevent clan domination in a region, he said.
In a federal system, each region will have a separate constitution and the highest elected official will be a governor.
Last month, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. filed the Joint Resolution 10, which backed the administration’s call for a government shift.
But he denied that his resolution aims to prolong President Macapagal-Arroyo in power.
