President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is joined by Senate President Vicente Sotto III and House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano during the joint session of the 18th Congress for the Fourth State of the Nation Address on July 22, 2019. SIMEON CELI JR./PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO
President Rodrigo Duterte may have killed the chances federalism-via-charter-change, a key campaign promise, by omitting any mention of it in his most important policy speech of the year.
Duterte himself acknowledged the fact in an impromptu news conference with reporters after his 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
Proponents of federalism should talk among themselves and present a “complete package,” instead of debating publicly or complaining about specific provisions, he said.
“Pero ako (As for myself), I’m out of it because I think that it will pass beyond my time,” Duterte told reporters.
Duterte said the presidency must continue to have the “same powers” even after the devolution of powers to local or regional governments under a federal setup.
“Federalism is good but there are certain things that you have to be very clear [about],” he said.
“One is that it devolves a lot of authority to the local governments, regional. It must be something like, the president – not I. I suppose that it would come after me. But it has to have a strong president to put together the country,” he added.
Behind closed doors?
Duterte said the SONA was “not the proper time to be discussing it,” adding that the federalism shift was better discussed behind closed doors.
“It’s better left in conferences that are not allowed to be open to the public,” he said.
“Kasi ‘pag isang (Because if we discuss one) provision to one another, magulo e (there’s going to be trouble). Sa isang provision lang (In just one provision) if it’s – there are a lot of complaints. A lot of pros and cons. Mahilo ka (You’ll get dizzy),” Duterte said.
“So better, you just talk it among yourselves and present it to the public ano na, ‘yung package na – completed (in a complete package),” he added.
‘Cha-cha laid to rest’ – Drilon
On Tuesday, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the president’s silence on federalism “speaks volumes, indicating that charter change is not a priority of the Duterte administration anymore.”
“What’s more telling in the president’s speech is not what he said but what he did not say,” he said. “For me, the non-inclusion of federalism indicates that the cha-cha was laid to rest yesterday. The SONA became cha-cha’s ‘final resting place,’” he added.
Drilon said the president’s post-SONA press conference confirmed his observation.
“Hence, those who have plans to revive it this 18th Congress should better think twice. It will be an exercise in futility,” he said.
Drilon said the Senate minority would instead examine the president’s legislative proposals, such as tax reform and land use.
Charter change, however, has an ardent proponent in Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, a top Duterte supporter, who wants to extend the terms of lawmakers.
Cayetano, elected House speaker on Monday and is now in a better position to push for cha-cha, said on July 11 that term extensions were not a political thing but a “practical thing.”
Palace Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said on Friday the charter change push could be limited to economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution. (PressONE.ph)