(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte explained why he did not include the issue of charter change and federalism in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), saying he thinks federalism could already happen after his term.
“I said there are things which I cannot mention now. Federalism is good but there are certain things that you have to be very clear,” the President said in a media interview after his SONA on Monday evening, July 22.
The President said that it has to be clear for instance that federalism “devolves a lot of authority” to the local and regional governments.
-Duterte: Federalism needs a strong president-
He said that federalism needs a “strong president to put together the country.”
“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,” Duterte said.
The 74-year old Philippine leader whose term ends in 2022 admitted federalism could happen beyond his time.
“Kasi ang federal, it’s a very loose structure na eh. One has a lot of power locally. So the president will have to have to devise it. Until such time that we have perfected it, there has to be a strong president with the same powers now,” Duterte explained.
“Pero kung ako, I’m out of it because I think that it will pass beyond my time”
-SONA, “not the proper time” to discuss charter change-
He also explained that he did not include charter change in his SONA because it should not be discussed in public, and it was “not the proper time” to talk about it.
“It is not the proper time to be discussing it ngayon, now. It’s better left in conferences that are not allowed to be open to the public,” the President observed.
He said discussing the pros and cons of charter change only invites confusion. For the President, it is better to define and refine charter change before presenting it to the public,
“Kasi ‘pag isang provision to one another, magulo eh. Sa isang provision lang if it’s — there are a lot of complaints. A lot of pros and cons. Mahilo ka,” Duterte said.
“So better, you just talk it among yourselves and present it to the public ano na, ‘yung package na — completed,” he added.
