All members of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet are on the same page with his desire to push federalism through Charter change, the Palace said Thursday.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque offered the assurance that there was a “100-percent agreement” among Cabinet members that federalism should be pursued, after Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia expressed worries about the proposed federal constitution and how the move to federalism would be funded.
“I think there’s a 100-percent agreement that we are pushing for federalism. The exact mechanics of how to do it, well, no one can claim a monopoly,” Roque said.
Dominguez this week expressed apprehension over how the new federal system would handle national debt, and asked the consultative committee that prepared the draft constitution about the role of the central bank.
Pernia last month expressed concerns that a federal system would slow down the country’s momentum of growth, and said only a handful of the proposed states would be ready for federalism.
“We respect the views of these Cabinet members but I would like to see if we can authenticate that these will be the results as proposed by the Con-Com,” Roque said. “I’d like to see if there are alternatives because federalism remains a priority of the President and we need to address obviously even the financial aspects of the constitutional change towards federalism.”
He added that the draft proposal is now with Congress, which can adopt the charter or make changes to it.
“I’m sure the issues raised by the members of the Cabinet will be looked into by Congress and also by the people ultimately,” Roque said.
“I don’t think any of the declarations made by the economic managers are conclusive. In fact, he was very particular when he said that I think there will be problems as [the charter is] currently drafted. So, he did not say that the shift to federalism per se will result in the problems that he perceives,” Roque said, referring to Dominguez.
The Palace spokesperson said he believes Dominguez only “wants to find answers to unanswered questions” about the country’s fiscal position when federalism is in place.
“The President has said that he is pushing for federalism. So, it is incumbent upon [his] alter egos to find ways and means now to make that happen,” Roque said.
Meanwhile, Con-Com member Ranhilio Aquino urged the President to sack both Dominguez and Pernia following their remarks on the proposed federal Charter.
“If he [Duterte] favors federalism, let him sack Dominguez and Pernia or command them to keep their traps shut,” Aquino said Thursday in a Facebook post.
Ssnator Francis Pangilinan on Thursday described as “brain dead” the government’s campaign on charter change, saying it is in the intensive care unit attached to a life support system.
However, he acknowledged that a miracle can still happen even in the ICU so “let us wait.”
“While there is life, there is hope…. But what is important, it will not be done in haste, it will not be forced for the May 2019 elections,” Pangilinan said.
He said there are more reasons not to rush Charter change based on the assertions of the Duterte administration’s economic managers.
Dominguez said at a Senate hearing that some of the provisions in the draft federal constitution could lead to “fiscal nightmare” if not sorted out properly.
He said the National Economic and Development Authority estimates placed the cost of shifting to federalism around P120 billion.
