Lalong Nakakalito! Ano ba talaga, Federalism o Revolutionary Government?!
I would go for the right kind of federal form of government with the
appropriate safeguards in-place. But a revolutionary form of government?
Hmmm... I'm not so sure. What nature exactly of a revolutionary
government have they in mind this time? This declaration loudly rings a
bell in many people's mind and adds another layer of confusion to voters
like me who are seriously inclined to the idea of decentralizing
government powers and resources through federalism or some other viable
and doable approaches such as "Bottom-Up Budgeting" (BUB).
In one
of his meetings with the Federal Movement For A Better Philippines in
Cebu City some time ago, Mayor Duterte said that if he cannot get the
desired results within six months to 1 year during his term, he will
abolish the Congress. He will declare a revolutionary government similar
to what the late former President Cory Aquino did during her time. But
of course, he will consult his constituents before doing so.
According to him, one of the benefits of having a revolutionary
government is it would allow him to get rid of the corrupt government
officials in the Philippines. He deems these people as the reason why
our country is still suffering from poverty. His first targets would be
the military generals and other high ranking police officials. But he
said, personally, he favors a federal form of government and is
currently campaigning for it. He believes that by establishing a federal
government, inequality would be abolished and there would be equal
distribution of resources among provinces. Furthermore, he claims that
this would be for the best interest of the country and will be essential
in the promotion of peace in Mindanao.
(If Mayor Duterte said
that he personally prefers Federalism, then the implication is that
there must be some unseen unknown hands behind his push for a
revolutionary government. Are they the unseen hands of the entity he
code named as "Emilio Aguinaldo"?)
