Are Filipinos Ready For Federalism - Inquirer Opinion

1/24/2017 AreFilipinosreadyforfederalism?
|InquirerOpinion
AreFilipinosreadyforfederalism?
By:Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco-@inquirerdotnet
PhilippineDailyInquirer/12:25AMMarch13,2015
The campaign pushing Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to

run for president in 2016 rides on the advocacy for the
Philippines to shift to a federal form of government. But
supporters of the extremely popular mayor seem to think
that the shift can happen easily, as if it were as simple as
changing outts.
Unfortunately, this is not the case.
For many countries, such as the United States, Malaysia,

Australia and Germany, federalization was actually a
state-building effort. Each began as a loose collection of
disparate political entities that gradually, and with
painful upheavals, transformed themselves into a unied
nation-state through the process of federalization.
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It would essentially be the reverse in our case.

Consequently, we face a much harder, more complicated,
and possibly harsher version of federalization. It is thus
disconcerting that purported advocates of federalism
http://opinion.inquirer.net/83276/arefilipinosreadyforfederalism 1/5
1/24/2017 AreFilipinosreadyforfederalism?|InquirerOpinion
seem oblivious to the gravity of this sociopolitical reform.

They quickly harp on the promise of enhanced local
autonomy without even considering the readiness of the
local leadership to assume the big responsibility of local
governments under federalism, as if the tness of the
current crop for this form of government were already a
given.
Note that one of the most important lessons in the

discourse on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law is the
recognition of the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao as a failed experiment. The lesson being:
Increasing the autonomy of local governments will
ultimately amount to nothing if local leaders are
incompetent and incapable of properly utilizing
expanded powers and resources.
In fact, the overdependence of local government

executives on the Internal Revenue Allotment and the
continued existence of central-government largesse, or
pork barrel funds, signify the stark reality that the
development perspective of local leaders has not reached
the level of sophistication necessary to sustain a federal
government structure.
Political dynasties constitute the unequivocal proof that

the quality of our local leaders is still below par as far as
federalism is concerned. According to a groundbreaking
study by the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center
in 2012 titled An Empirical Analysis of Political
Dynasties in the 15th Philippine Congress, lower
standards of living, lower human development, and
higher levels of deprivation and inequality persist in the
communities governed by political dynasties.
It would thus not be unfounded to conclude that

federalizing with political dynasties still rmly
entrenched in power would actually condemn the
affected communities to perpetual poverty. It would
certainly be justied to be concerned that federalizing
with the quality of local leadership still at an untenable
state would only make socioeconomic development more
inequitable than it is. With these trepidations in mind, it
is indeed very dicult to conceive of Filipinos as primed
and ready for federalism.
Still I maintain that the switch to a federal form of

government is a constitutional reform that we can all
rally behind. But we have to disabuse ourselves of the
idea that the switch will be as effortless as turning on a
light switch.
Indeed, the primary task in the pursuit of this goal is to

improve the quality of local leadership. Ardent believers
of federalism can actively push for the enactment of
these pieces of legislation: the Anti-Political Dynasty Law,
the Freedom of Information Act and the Political Party
Development Act of 2014.
There are other ways of uplifting leadership standards

for our governors and mayors.
Nevertheless, these three laws are particularly vital

because they impose structural reforms that can instigate
drastic improvements to the way local governance is
currently conceived and delivered.
However, I must emphasize, too, that the transition to

federalism also requires the elevation of the electorate to
a higher level of political consciousness. First and
foremost, Filipinos must have a clear understanding of
what this massive sociopolitical undertaking entails. And

the best way to commence with this task is to abandon
the populist approach that some supporters of federalism
are taking.
The obvious danger here is that rhetoric and sound bytes,

while good for catching the medias attention, could
make a caricature of the advocacy and thus diminish its
potency.
I suggest a clinical and academic approach that would

facilitate a circumspect and level-headed discussion on
federalization among all sectors of Philippine society.
Accordingly, I envisage a community congregation
organized for such a purpose through the barangay-
assembly apparatus and moderated by genuine
promoters of federalization.
Admittedly, dissecting the intricacies of federalism does

not exactly fall within the powers of the barangay
assembly under the Local Government Code (LGC). But
this mechanism is still the most convenient way to gather
ordinary citizens and give them the opportunity to speak
out and be heard. After all the LGC itself considers the
barangay a forum wherein the collective views of the
people may be expressed, crystallized and considered.
The desired result is for all Filipinos between Batanes

and Tawi-Tawi to see themselves not as passive observers
in the sidelines but as continuing stakeholders in the
establishment of federalism in the country.
Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, a practicing lawyer, is the

author of the book Rethinking the Bangsamoro
Perspective. He conducts research on current issues in
state-building, decentralization and constitutionalism.

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1/24/2017 AreFilipinosreadyforfederalism?

The campaign pushing Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to

Unfortunately, this is not the case.

For many countries, such as the United States, Malaysia,

It would essentially be the reverse in our case.

seem oblivious to the gravity of this sociopolitical reform.

Note that one of the most important lessons in the

In fact, the overdependence of local government

Political dynasties constitute the unequivocal proof that

It would thus not be unfounded to conclude that

Still I maintain that the switch to a federal form of

Indeed, the primary task in the pursuit of this goal is to

There are other ways of uplifting leadership standards

Nevertheless, these three laws are particularly vital

However, I must emphasize, too, that the transition to

what this massive sociopolitical undertaking entails. And

The obvious danger here is that rhetoric and sound bytes,

I suggest a clinical and academic approach that would

Admittedly, dissecting the intricacies of federalism does

The desired result is for all Filipinos between Batanes

Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, a practicing lawyer, is the

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