federalization proposal in the pinas by senator pimentel


http://www.mb.com.ph/MTNN20080425122760.html
<http://www.mb.com.ph/MTNN20080425122760.html>

Genalyn D. Kabiling

President Arroyo will not block any legislative proposal seeking a
shift
to a federal system of government in the country, Malacañang said
yesterday.

Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said the President remains supportive
of political reforms but would no longer initiate it due to lack of
time
under her term, which ends on 2010.

"The President ran in a platform of economic and political reforms.
She
said that realistically, with the time left for her term, there seems
to
be not much time left to pursue this political reform. But she is not
against any suggestion that would push political reforms," Bunye said
in
a news conference in the Palace.

With less than two years in her tenure, the President has decided to
leave to her successor to undertake crucial amendments to the 1987
Constitution, according to Bunye.

Bunye was reacting to reports that 11 senators have supported a
resolution calling to amend the Constitution and adoption of
federalism
in the country.

The bill, proposed by Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Nene" Q.
Pimentel
Jr., seeks to create 11 federal states in the country and one federal
administrative region.

Pimentel said the federalization of the republic would help facilitate
speedy economic development and dissipate the causes of rebellion in
the
country, particularly in Mindanao.

Under Pimentel's proposal, the federal states of Northern Luzon,
Central Luzon, Bicol, and Southern Tagalog in Luzon; the federal
states
of Minparom (Mindoro-Palawan-Romblon-Marinduque), Eastern Visayas,
Central Visayas, and Western Visayas in the Visayas, and the federal
states of Northern Mindanao, Southern Mindanao, and Bangsamoro in
Mindanao will be established.

.

Relevant Pages