Leaders of the House of Representatives asked today the critics of President Duterte not to put a price tag on his federalism proposal, saying that its projected cost will be outweighed by unquantifiable economic growth and development it would deliver in the country, especially in the countryside.
On a vote of 261 to 18, the Senate and the House of Representatives decide to extend martial law in Mindanao up to December 31, 2017 in a joint, special session at the Batasang Pambansa yesterday. Inset photo shows Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III (left) and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez presiding over the session that lasted more than seven hours. (Jansen Romero, Alvin Kasiban)
House of the Representatives (Manila Bulletin File Photo)
Deputy Speakers Fredenil Castro of Capiz and Gwendolyn Garcia of Cebu made the call, as a government think tank estimates the government’s shift to federalism could cost P44 billion to P72 billion a year.
“We cannot put a tag price on whether or not we should shift from the present system to federal system. The bottom line is, what is best to attain peace and development to uplift the living condition of the Filipinos,” Castro said in an interview.
“We believe that federalism is best for the Filipinos, based on objective and honest to goodness studies and not, on purely experimental if not, speculative motivation,” he said.
Rosario Manasan, senior fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, earlier said the government could either reduce spending or raise new taxes to address the bureaucratic cost of shifting to federalism.
“In any event for this purpose reduction of expenses is acceptable but, never raising new taxes,” Castro said.
Garcia agreed with Casto, even she pledged her all-out support to the President’s proposed federal form of government.
“I fully support President Duterte’s push for federalism. Projected costs to government will be far outweighed by the unquantifiable boost to economic growth and development for the envisioned federal states,” she said.
AKO BICOL partylist Rep. Rodel Batocabe, president of the House partylist coalition bloc, said the people have the last word on the matter.
“These matters will be carefully validated and weighed once we start deliberations as a Constituent Assembly. And should we in Congress pass this, we still have to submit this to the people for their consideration and approval. Eventually, these matters will be up to our people to decide,” he said.
Manasan earlier said federalism should also take account the income disparity among regions, particularly Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon which account for 62 percent of the economy.
