By Earl Jed Roque/PNA
MANILA — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) plans to tap the Consultative Committee (ConCom) that drafted the proposed federal constitution in its information drive to promote federalism, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said.
In an interview in Manila last December 28, Año said while the ConCom’s mandate to draft a Federal Constitution is done, he decided to tap the committee as DILG consultants due to its expertise.
“We need the services still in explaining to the people what the advantages are of having a federal form of government and we will continue to advocate,” he said.
Año said there are plans to “harmonize” the ConCom draft with inputs from different sectors before submitting it to Congress.
“The finished product will be presented to Congress for more public hearings and discussion and come up with a good draft that would be more responsive to the needs and sentiments of the people,” he said.
Año said discussions will likely proceed in the next Congress or after the May 2019 elections as legislators are currently occupied with their re-election bids.
“This is really a change of Constitution kaya mabigat-bigat ito (which is why it is a heavy topic), but for the meantime, magfo-focus kami sa (we will focus on) advocacy and information campaign all over the country,” he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has already issued an executive order creating an inter-agency task force on federalism, designating Año as chairman of the task force with justice secretary Menardo Guevarra as vice-chair.
The ConCom submitted its draft “Bayanihan” (working together) federal Constitution to the President last July.
Pushing for a federal form of government was one of Duterte’s major campaign promises when he ran in the 2016 presidential elections.
