DAVAO CITY (August 5) — Consultative Committee (ConCom) chair Reynato Puno said the move towards federalism will equalize power and economic opportunities in most impoverished regions.
“The essence of federalism is not just delegation of power but equitable distribution of the powers of government between the federal government and the government of its constituent states,” Puno pointed out.
He said that the assault against the proposed federal constitution are borne out of lack of clear understanding on what federalism is all about. The inconvenient question that should be asked instead, Puno aded should be on what is wrong with the unitary government. “What is wrong cannot escape our senses–it is the over concentration of powers in the national government.”
Federalism provides the regions, the power and needed resources to govern effectively, he said. “That’s the essence of federalism–the non concentration of power.”
The ConCom has acceded to the request of President Rodrigo Duterte to ban him from seeking the presidency under the federal constitution. ecz/ NewsLine
