(My late father wrote this and sent this to opinion@inquirer.com.ph on April 19, 2018, where he was a frequent opinion submitter in his late years. I am publishing it here in my blog.)
The drawbacks of federalism
Federalism is being pushed through by the Duterte administration as the best form of government for the Philippines, an archipelagic country. This is directly contravened by an American poet who said that “For forms of government let fools contest, whatever is best administered is best.”
President Duterte and his allies in Congress want to adopt federalism - the American form of government composed of 51 separate individual states. On many occasions, he averred that the Philippines would be a divided country – plagued by discord, violence and anarchy unless autonomy on a wide range of issues is given to various regions (states) in the country with different ethnic, cultural backgrounds and economic potentials.
President Duterte’s prediction seems to reflect his foresight. His fears are well-grounded. At present, there is no solution yet in sight to the 50-year insurrection launched by the Communist Party of the Philippines, New Peoples’ Army and National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF). There is also the decades-old problem of secessionist movements in Muslim Mindanao by the Moro National Liberation Movement (MNLF) led by Nur Misuari and the Moro Islamic Liberation Movement (MILF) by Mustapha Ibrahim. There are also minor groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) which inspired local Muslims to place Marawi City under siege, the BIFF and other smaller groups who want a separate, independent republic for Muslims in the Philippines.
The CPP-NPA-NDF wants a coalition government which Duterte vehemently opposed, saying they have first to lay down their arms, stop demanding revolutionary taxes from the people and extorting money from businessmen. Duterte is hopeful that the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) which would give autonomy to the MNLF and MILF as separate states would stop the secessionist movements in Mindano and develop it into progressive communities. Today (April 19) the Lower House approve the BBL law.
Peace talks between government and the CPP-NPA have been held in Europe but the latter failed to stop its combative actions against government troops. On the other hand, some LGU leaders rile against discrimination in the Internal Revenue Allotment of annual appropriations saying only imperial Manila and provinces lorded over by powerful politicians get the lion’s share of the annual budget. Moreover, federalism advocates argue that regions (States) can pass legislation that may earn ample revenue for them.
This explains why some LGUs in the Visayas and Mindanao regions are still under-developed and the quality of life of its people, substandard. Poverty is widespread in the countryside with many having no means of income. Many cannot go to school anymore because of lack of extreme want.
Now Duterte and his allies believe that these problems can be solved through a federal form of government which would give more power to LGUs in terms of economic endeavors thus ensuring better incomes and higher revenue for them.
Politically, however, does federalism assure that offenses prevalent in a unitary presidential system will be minimized if not eradicated in a federal form? For instance, will federalism do away with the chronic graft and corruption which pervaded our country? Will it also get rid of political dynasty which the Congress willfully violates when the Constitution expressly mandates it to abolish?
In a federal form of government, the President can wield so much power especially when he has a tyranny of numbers in the Congress or if Justices of the Supreme Court are under his control. Federal courts can overrule state courts thus opening the floodgates of injustice especially when litigants are heavy campaign contributors of politicians. In sum, it can only expand the power of the elite and not of the masses.
Federalism can only succeed in a highly mature and politicized society. It is always bound to fail in societies characterized by ignorance, poverty, pervasive graft and corruption and vested interests. It can only expand the power of the elite and pressure groups but not the ordinary citizens.
If he wants to leave a legacy of a clean government and a peaceful country, President Duterte must set aside vindictiveness, promote fairness and provide livelihood and income opportunities for the majority who are poor. Above all, he must do justice to every man which he promised during his oath of office regardless of belief, creed, religion and status.
EDGAR J. TAMAYO
ejtamayo@yahoo.com
4/19/2018
Note: Writer was a Major in Political Science, a Fulbright Scholar, and was a Manila Bulletin correspondent for decades. (We already owned Manila Bulletin, still should be. That MB building was my "new" house in the 1970s.) He was actually genius in Mathematics and many Sciences. He was pioneer too of modern computing and master of DDR RAM modules, co-developer of MS Office and Linux OS and apps, and Stockfish software and neural net engine, Cerebras Systems technologies, and quantum computing. I told him he was a String Theorist already but he didn't like it. Maybe String Theory is not the best? (This Note edited by me, with additions.)
