Moro National Liberation Front Chairman Nur Misuari is pictured at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport before his departure for Saudi Arabia, Dec. 14, 2016. (Richie Lopa/InterAksyon)
Moro National Liberation Front Chairman Nur Misuari on Wednesday voiced confidence that progress will be achieved in Mindanao under the federal system of government which the Duterte administration in pushing for.
Misuari said he fully supports the initiative of President Rodrigo Duterte but it must be a genuine form of federalism.
"President Duterte wanted us to have federalism, I said it is okay for me because that is midway between colonialism and independence," Misuari said in a chance interview at the departure hall of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminal 1 before leaving for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, together with his wife Tarhata and 16 other members of his delegation on board Saudia flight SV863 at 3 p.m. on Wednesday .
"We settled for that but it must be a genuine form of federalism. I don't like federalism that will reflect all the division of all people. What I want is to have one Mindanao, one Visayas and there could have two or three Luzons because they have coalitions."
Misuari said he is optimistic that progress will be achieved in Mindanao once the federal system of government pushes through.
"Hundred percent there will be progress. As a matter of fact, we control between east and west (of Mindanao)," he said, adding that fellow Mindanaoans are fed up being colonized.
"As the United Nations is saying, colonialism is the biggest cause of war in every part of the world,"Misuari added.
The country, under the federal system, will create 11 federal states, while keeping a presidential form of government and increasing the number of elected senators from the present 24 to 81.
There will be four states under Luzon -- Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Bicol and another four in Visayas -- Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Western Visayas, and Minparom, covering Mindoro Oriental and Mindoro Occidental, Palawan and the Kalayaan Islands, Romblon, Marinduque while three in Mindanao -- Northern Mindanao, which may be subdivided into Northwestern and Northeastern Mindanao; Southern Mindanao, Bangsamoro.
The National Capital Region will be the capital of the Federal Republic of the Philippines, just like Washington D.C. in the United States.
One of the proponents of federalism,, former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., explained that the system is necessary to allow government resources to be distributed equitably to each province in the country.
"It is a system of sharing power," he said.
Pimentel is the founding chairman of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), the political party of President Rodrigo Duterte who is strongly pushing for a federal system of government.
Under the proposal, the president and the vice president will be elected for a six-year term of office without reelection, unlike the present system where they are voted separately, while senators will no longer be elected nationwide.
There will be 66 senators for the 11 federal states and Metro Manila will also have six senators, and 9 more to represent overseas Filipinos. In all, there will be 81 senators under the federal system.
Federalism, according to Pimentel, will accomplish two major things -- cause the speedy development of the entire country by unleashing the forces of competitiveness among states; and second, dissipate the cause of rebellion in the country, particularly in Mindanao.
By federalizing the Republic, the States will concretely address the needs of their component sectors more readily, he added.
http://interaksyon.com/article/135258/misuari-fully-backs-dutertes-push-for-federalism-says-it-is-key-to-mindanao-progress
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