MINDANAWONS UNITE TO PURSUE FEDERALISM by Roger Bantiles [Column: POLITICS, The Voices of Change, p. 10, OpinYon, 8-14 December 2014, Volume 5, No. 15, opinyon.ph, facebook/opinyon, twitter/opinyon2010] More than a thousand people attended the summit on Federalism convened by Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte on 1 December 2014 last Monday in Davao City. Dubbed as Mindanawons Forging Unity toward a Federal System of Government, it assembled under one roof the leaders and opinion makers in Mindanao and the country. They came from the ranks of Government, Civil Society Organizations, Business, Church, Academe, Military, Indigenous Peoples, Youth/Student Sectors and other stakeholders. The summit tackled the possibility of pushing Federalism as a viable alternative to the prevailing antiquated system and to effect meaningful political and social changes in Mindanao in particular and the country in general. Pushing Federalism Atty. Ruben R. Canoy, former Mayor of Cagayan de Oro City and the earliest proponent of Federalism, gave the keynote address. Widely regarded as the Father of Philippine Federalism, he impressed the participants with his grasp of the concepts, principles and practices of Federalism. He underlined some of the central concepts of Federalism which are decentralization, democracy and peoples participation. Giving their individual reactions to the keynote address were Archbishop Emeritus Fernando Capalla, Atty. Randolph Parcasio, Mr. John Villadolid, Prof. Moner Bajunaid, Councilor Berino Mamboo, Ret. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Atty. Israelito Torreon, Ms. Rhona Canoy, former Mayor Tommy Osmena, Mr. Dante Jimenez, former Congressman Chon of Biliran, former Governor Tingting Cojuangco, former Secretary Jesus Dureza, Governor Hermogenes Ebdane, and Ret. Col. Alexander Noble. All the reactors supported Federalism. They saw it as the only system of governance that will achieve for the country a simultaneous, democratic, equitable, fast and balanced all-around development across sectors, tribes, ethnic identifies and regions. The aim of the summit to forge a well-informed united front was achieved. The participants put their signatures to a collective plan of action to pursue the arduous and long quest for Mindanaos true identity reflective of its various tribes and peoples wishes and aspirations. Duterte Appeal Mayor Rody Duterte for his part took the opportunity to appeal to all the participants and the nation to make them realize that We cannot continue to dwell in the past. Neither can we return the past to whoever were the victims of past circumstance. Hindi na natin maisasauli yon. What we can do is to leave the past and together go forward towards the future in the spirit of unity and solidarity. The Mayor directly confronted the unspoken question in the back of everybodys mind whether he would seek the Presidency. Mayor Duterte expressed his contentment and satisfaction with just being the mayor of Davao City. I am not attracted to the Presidency and I do not covet it, he stated emphatically. What he is interested in is, if the process of amending the Constitution is thrown open, he will vigorously pursue the insertion of the Federal System of Governance into the amendments of the Constitution. Two participants - one from Negros and another from Bicol - expressed the sentiment of all that Federalism cannot be successfully pursued without a leader who believe it and will emblazon it as a campaign platform. The two urged the Mayor to run for the Presidency in order to pursue Federalism, to which all the participants agreed by roaring their approval to the rafters. Of such stuff are destinies made: a man and a cause converging. The Mayor appeared lukewarm to the idea of running for the Presidency, but the cause is really worthy of pursuit by a Presidential candidate. It is so fundamental that it can even change the nature of the Presidency and local leadership. Thats the challenge, and Mayor Rody Duterte is the kind of man who faces a challenge squarely. Whatever decision the Mayor will take, a Presidency under a Federal System is so solidly based on the power of the local government units that Mayor Duterte will feel at home in it. A Federal Presidency is not an Imperial Presidency, as the position is right now in Malacanang. For a man of Mayor Dutertes sensibilities, philosophy and bent, a Presidency under a Federal System is like having a cake and eating it at the same time.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Dec 2014 04:07:20 +0000
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