Federalism
Federalism is a combined or compound mode of government that combines a general government (the central or "federal" government) with regional governments (Province, provincial, State (sub-national), state, Canton (administrative division), can ...
was one of the main campaign promises of
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
when he
ran for President of the Philippines in 2016. His administration pursued a proposal which would shift
the Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
from being under a
unitary form of government to a federal one.
By 2021, efforts to introduce a federal form of government in the Philippines has halted. Among the factors include lack of support from members of the
Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
, lack of public awareness on federalism, and public skepticism on
charter change
A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, t ...
which is a prerequisite for federalism.
Background
One of
Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Roa Duterte (, ; born March 28, 1945), also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson ...
's campaign promises when he ran for
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
in the
2016 Philippine national elections was the adoption of a
federal form of government for the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. He had promised to redistribute power and wealth to the rural areas through the adoption of federalism. He also had advance federalism as a solution to the Moro conflict insisting in a campaign promise that "nothing short will bring peace to Mindanao."
In Duterte's first
State of the Nation Address in
2016
File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
, he directed the
Department of the Interior and Local Government
The Department of the Interior and Local Government ( fil, Kagawaran ng Interyor at Pamahalaang Lokal), abbreviated as DILG, is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for promoting peace and order, ensuring public saf ...
to launch a nationwide information campaign to promote the benefits of federalism.
[
President Rodrigo Duterte issued Executive Order No. 10 which mandates for the creation of a 25-member Consultative Committee (ConCom) on December 7, 2016 for the review of the 1987 Constitution. Duterte appointed the first 22 members of the committee on January 24, 2018. The ConCom submitted its first federal constitution draft on July 9, 2018.
The draft underwent several changes with the newer versions criticized; such as for omitting provisions which serves as safeguard against political dynasties and ]turncoat
A turncoat is a person who shifts allegiance from one loyalty or ideal to another, betraying or deserting an original cause by switching to the opposing side or party. In political and social history, this is distinct from being a traitor, as the ...
ism, provisions on federated regions, and the removal of the position of Vice President.
In mid-2018, Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson
Esther Margaux Justiniano Uson (born May 17), better known as Mocha Uson, is a controversial Filipino singer, actress, dancer, model, political blogger, and public official widely known for spreading fake news and disinformation. She is also a ...
was criticized by legislators and the public for the Pepederalismo vlog
A video blog or video log, sometimes shortened to vlog (), is a form of blog for which the medium is video. Vlog entries often combine embedded video (or a video link) with supporting text, images, and other metadata. Entries can be recorded in ...
that featured blogger Drew Olivar, where Olivar performed a federalism jingle while gesturing to his crotch and chest. A member of the Cabinet said the video "poured very cold water on the federalism initiative".[ The lack of awareness on federalism is attributed to the lack of support for the campaign by the public.
In 2019, Duterte proposed the amendment of the Constitution as an alternative if his administration campaign for federalism fails to gain enough traction.][ In August 2020, Presidential spokesperson ]Harry Roque
Herminio "Harry" Lopez Roque Jr. (; born October 21, 1966) is a Filipino lawyer, politician, and former law professor. He served as the presidential spokesperson of President Rodrigo Duterte from 2017 to 2018 and from 2020 to 2021. He was the p ...
says that Duterte's administration is still pursuing the shift to federalism and is considering three options to accomplish this; by amending the 1987 Constitution through Constitutional Convention (Con-Con), Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass), or people's initiative.
In a democracy summit hosted by US President Joe Biden in December 2021, Duterte stated that his bid for federalism has failed citing failure to secure sufficient support from the Congress.
Proposals
Subdivisions
There are several proposals made in regards to the number of subdivisions of a Federal Philippines. This includes:
*In 2017, then-House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez
Pantaleon Diaz Alvarez (born January 10, 1958) is a Filipino politician serving as the Representative of Davao del Norte's 1st district since 2016, previously holding the position from 1998 to 2001. He served as the Speaker of the House of ...
's vision for a federal Philippines called for 14 states: 7 in Luzon, 2 in Visayas and 5 in Mindanao. He also proposed that the capital of the Philippines under a federal government should be somewhere in Negros Island
Negros is the fourth largest and third most populous island in the Philippines, with a total land area of . Negros is one of the many islands of the Visayas, in the central part of the country. The predominant inhabitants of the island region a ...
saying that it would be accessible to all people from the three island groups while he added that the state's territory does not have to be contiguous.
*The Sub-Committee 1 of the House of Representatives Committee on Constitutional Amendments in 2018 proposed that a federal Philippines would comprise five states: Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, Bangsamoro and Metro Manila. Each states to be led by a premiere as its executive head will have a State Assembly according to the proposal.
*In February 2018, the League of Provinces of the Philippines
The League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), also referred to as the League of Provinces, is an organization composed of governors of the provinces in the Philippines. All of the 82 provinces are members of the organization.
Statutory basis ...
(LPP), whose members are the 81 provincial governors, gave its support to the country's shift to federalism, but stated that the 81 existing provinces should be converted into "independent states", instead of regional lumping.
*On April 25, 2018, the consultative committee (Con-Com), created by President Rodrigo Duterte to propose revisions to the 1987 Constitution, agreed that the starting point for the federalism discussions will be the establishment of 17 federated regions and the National Capital Region, the proposed federal capital region. The 17 federated regions will be Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Negros Island, Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao ,Soccksksargen, Caraga, Cordillera Administrative Region and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
:On July 4, 2018, the Consultative Committee (ConCom) tasked to review the Constitution unanimously approved the draft constitution which would shift the present government form into federalism
Federalism is a combined or compound mode of government that combines a general government (the central or "federal" government) with regional governments (Province, provincial, State (sub-national), state, Canton (administrative division), can ...
. Under the approved proposed constitution, the Philippines will be divided into 18 federated regions, where the National Capital Region (which initially was supposed to be a 'capital region') will now be a federated region as well.
It was also suggested that Sabah
Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indone ...
, a territory administered as a state of Malaysia and is claimed by the Philippines, be made into a federal state of the Philippines.
There was also campaign by local leaders for Negros island and Zambasulta (Zamboanga Peninsula and the Sulu archipelago) for their locale to be made as federal states.
Tenure and eligibility for re-election of incumbent officials
The draft constitution formulated by the Concom 'allows the president to assume ''all the necessary powers'' of government – executive, legislative, and judiciary – to prevent the breakup' of the proposed federated republic, according to Consultative Committee chairman Reynato Puno. On July 6, 2018, it was revealed by ConCom member Julio Teehankee
Julio Cabral Teehankee is a Filipino political scientist. He is Full Professor of Political Science and International Studies at De La Salle University (DLSU) where he served as Chair of the Political Science Department (1994–2007); Chair of ...
that under the proposed federal constitution, Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo may run again for president for two consecutive terms or an additional 8 years in office after 2022, paving the way for a possible 14 years in office.
This was met with opposition from some critics, including lawyer and former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay
Florin "Pilo" Ternal Hilbay (born March 19, 1974) is a Filipino lawyer who served as the Office of the Solicitor General of the Philippines, Solicitor General of the Philippines from 2014 to 2016, serving the Philippine agent in the international ...
and Albay province Rep. Edcel Lagman. It was feared that the proposed charter would enable an authoritarian regime similar to that of Ferdinand Marcos during the Martial Law era. Hilbay found it suspicious when a copy of the draft charter was leaked by an unknown source, which the commission said was "not final". In a statement, he said that the proposed constitution was “overtly designed to secure, if not coerce, popular anointment of the Consultative Committee's handiwork which was approved without the benefit of prior extensive local consultations.”
Later however, Teehankee stated that he "misspoke" during the interview, saying that the president and vice president are barred from running, and assured that their terms will not be extended, referring to Section 16 of the draft charter, which was not yet available to the public at that time. In contrast, Concom member and former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said, "Theoretically it is true (Duterte can seek re-election), but in Digong's case, I am convinced that he does not want to run again. He has been saying that once it is approved, he will resign."
Rodrigo Duterte has also announced that he had no intention to serve beyond his term, and that he is willing to step down earlier than 2022, in case the shift to federalism pushes through. He then asked the Consultative Committee to include a provision that prevents him from seeking re-election, which was subsequently added by the Concom.
Public opinion and awareness
Generally, Filipinos' stance on a shift to federalism is mixed. These are reflected by nationwide opinion polls conducted by Pulse Asia
Pulse Asia Research Inc. is a public opinion polling body in the Philippines. It was founded by Professor Emeritus Felipe B. Miranda (M.A. Political Science, University of Chicago) of the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Pulse Asia Inc. wa ...
and Social Weather Stations
The Social Weather Stations or SWS is a social research institution in the Philippines founded in August 1985. It is a private, non-stock, nonprofit institution. It is the foremost public-opinion polling body in the Philippines. As an independent ...
(SWS). By the end of March 2018, 37% of Filipinos agree, while 29% disagree, when asked if they are in favor of a federal system of government, based on a survey of 1,200 adults aged 18 and above by SWS. Opposition to Charter change (cha-cha) went up from 44 percent in July 2016 to ''64 percent'' in March 2018, and the opposition to federalism went the same way, except by a larger margin—from 33 percent to ''66 percent''.
Meanwhile, in June 2018, a Pulse Asia poll answered by 1,800 respondents showed 67% being against charter change. However, of those who opposed Charter change, 30 percent said the Constitution should not be amended now, but could be changed sometime in the future, while 37 percent said it should not be changed "now or any other time." Support and awareness for federalism is strongest in Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
and within the Filipino Muslim
Islam was the first-recorded monotheistic religion in the Philippines. Islam reached the Philippines in the 14th century with the arrival of Muslim traders from the Persian Gulf, southern India, and their followers from several sultanates in th ...
community. Support for federalism was also the strongest in the Bicol Region
Bicol, known formally as the Bicol Region or colloquially as Bicolandia ( bcl, Rehiyon kan Bikol; Rinconada Bikol: ''Rehiyon ka Bikol''; Waray Sorsogon, Masbateño: ''Rehiyon san Bikol''; tl, Rehiyon ng Bikol), is an administrative region of ...
and Eastern Visayas
Eastern Visayas ( war, Sinirangan Kabisay-an; ceb, Sidlakang Kabisay-an; tl, Silangang Kabisayaan or ''Silangang Visayas'') is an administrative region in the Philippines, designated as Region VIII. It consists of three main islands, Samar, ...
regions.
The Philippine government cites lack of information as the reason for low public support. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque stated that, "For this reason, we cannot expect our people to support an initiative, which they know only little about. There is clearly much work to be done in terms of spreading awareness and knowledge on the aforementioned issue." The Philippine government has repeatedly presented its intention to drive up its effort to educate Filipinos about federalism.
Position of political parties
The political party PDP–Laban
Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan (), abbreviated as PDP–Laban, is a democratic socialist List of political parties in the Philippines, political party in the Philippines founded in 1982. It was part of the country's ruling party al ...
is currently the main and strongest advocate of federalism in the Philippines. PDP–Laban currently only allows pro-federalism politicians to be admitted to the party.
In contrast, the opposing Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
is mostly against the movement. Former Vice President
A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on t ...
Leni Robredo
Maria Leonor "Leni" Gerona Robredo (; born Maria Leonor Santo Tomas Gerona; April 23, 1965) is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 14th vice president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022.
She was the wife of the late Jesse ...
, has expressed her opposition towards charter change and federalism. This sentiment is shared also by various opposition senators and representatives, including Francis Pangilinan
Francis Pancratius "Kiko" Nepomuceno Pangilinan (; born August 24, 1963) is a Filipino lawyer, politician, and farm owner who served as a Senator from 2001 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022. He was the Senate Majority Leader from 2004 to 2008.
A ...
and Franklin Drilon
Franklin Magtunao Drilon (born November 28, 1945) is a Filipino lawyer and former politician. He had the longest tenure in the Senate of the Philippines (tied with Lorenzo Tañada, Tito Sotto and incumbent Loren Legarda), having served four no ...
Left-wing political parties such as the democratic socialist Akbayan
The Akbayan Citizens' Action Party, better known as Akbayan (), is a Democratic socialist, democratic socialist and Progressivism, progressive political party in the Philippines. Akbayan is noted as a leading member of the progressive movement i ...
and the more radical Bagong Alyansang Makabayan
The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan () or Bayan is an alliance of left-wing Philippine organizations. It was founded on International Workers' Day, May 1, 1985 as part of the opposition during the Marcos dictatorship.
Politics Ideology
The princ ...
have also voiced disapproval of charter change. Some members of the Nacionalista Party
The Nacionalista Party (Filipino and Spanish: ''Partido Nacionalista''; ) is the oldest political party in both the Philippines and in Southeast Asia in general. It is responsible for leading the country throughout the majority of the 20th ce ...
expressed their disapproval of federalism, including senators Cynthia Villar
Cynthia Aguilar Villar (, born Cynthia Ampaya Aguilar on July 29, 1950) is a Filipina politician currently serving as a Senator of the Philippines. She was a member of the House of Representatives for the Lone District of Las Piñas from 2001 ...
and Antonio Trillanes
Antonio Fuentes Trillanes IV (; born August 6, 1971) is a retired Philippine naval officer who also served as a senator of the Philippines from 2007 to 2019. He is known for his involvement in the Oakwood mutiny of 2003 and the Manila Peninsula ...
.
Aftermath
By December 2021, the campaign for adopting a federal form of government in the Philippines by President Duterte has failed. Duterte cited the lack of support from the Congress
A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of a ...
. By that time, the Congress is already preoccupied in preparing for the upcoming 2022 elections
The following elections are scheduled to occur in 2022. The National Democratic Institute also maintains a calendar of elections around the world.
* 2022 United Nations Security Council election
* 2022 national electoral calendar
* 2022 local e ...
.
Candidates for the 2022 Philippine presidential election
The 2022 Philippine presidential and vice presidential elections were held on May 9, 2022, as part of the 2022 general election. This was the 17th direct presidential election and 16th vice presidential election in the Philippines since 1935, ...
have taken various stances on federalism. The eventual winner of the election, former senator and now current president Bongbong Marcos
Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr. ( , , ; born September 13, 1957), commonly referred to by the initials PBBM or BBM, is a Filipino politician who is the 17th and current president of the Philippines. He previously served as a senat ...
(who ran under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas
Partido Federal ng Pilipinas ( en, Federal Party of the Philippines; PFP) is a national political party in the Philippines. It is chaired by Bongbong Marcos, president of the Philippines who won by a landslide in the 2022 election. During the r ...
that advocates for federalism), has expressed support for adopting a federal form of government, but cited the difficulty in pushing for charter change. He earlier stated that the country may not be ready for federalism. Former senator Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr. (; born December17, 1978) is a Filipino politician and former professional boxer. Nicknamed "PacMan", he is regarded as one of the greatest professional boxers of all time. He served as a Senator of the Philip ...
included federalism among his campaign promises. He said he would implement a hybrid form of federalism if elected. Meanwhile, Norberto Gonzales
Norberto Borja Gonzales (born April 17, 1947) is a Filipino social democratic politician who served as secretary of national defense and national security adviser under 14th President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Gonzales was a candidate in the 2 ...
on his part prefers to grant autonomy
In developmental psychology and moral, political, and bioethical philosophy, autonomy, from , ''autonomos'', from αὐτο- ''auto-'' "self" and νόμος ''nomos'', "law", hence when combined understood to mean "one who gives oneself one's ...
for all regions in the Philippines
In the Philippines, regions ( fil, rehiyon; ISO 3166-2:PH) are administrative divisions that primarily serve to coordinate planning and organize national government services across multiple local government units (LGUs). Most national govern ...
rather than just Bangsamoro
ar, منطقة بانجسامورو ذاتية الحكم فى مسلمى مينداناو
, native_name =
, settlement_type = Autonomous region
, anthem = Bangsamoro Hymn
, image_skyline ...
which he insists is a setup different from federalism, although he expressed a vision for a federation comprising states of the ASEAN
ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...
. Former senators Panfilo Lacson
Panfilo "Ping" Morena Lacson Sr. (; born June 1, 1948) is a Filipino former politician and police general who served as a Senate of the Philippines, Senator for three terms: from 2001 to 2013 and from 2016 to 2022. He was the Chief of the Phil ...
and his vice president candidate Tito Sotto
Vicente Castelo Sotto III (; born August 24, 1948), professionally known as Tito Sotto, is a Filipino politician, entertainer and athlete who served as Senate President from 2018 to 2022. Before that, had two stints each as Senate Majority Lea ...
also does not see the push for federalism to be feasible and instead has promised to implement a nationwide budget reform program which they describe as a salient point of federalism. Candidate and labor leader Leody de Guzman
Leodegario "Ka Leody" Quitain de Guzman (; born July 25, 1959) is a Filipino socialist labor rights activist who ran for president in the 2022 Philippine presidential elections, under the Partido Lakas ng Masa. He is currently the chairperson ...
opposes federalism and believes that politicians advocating for it is using it as a distraction to avoid discourse on other issues he finds more urgent and important.
See also
* Proposed federal states of the Philippines
References
{{2016 Philippine elections
Presidency of Rodrigo Duterte
Rodrigo Duterte, Federalism and