2019, the year with many things to happen to chart the country’s future; the Midterm elections will either increase or decrease the allies of the President in both Lower and Upper House. With the expected change in leadership comes to the new seat of members of both Houses, the Federalism Agenda will remain a numbers game in both Lower, and Upper House expected to vote separately.
The Constitution defines three modalities to Change the Constitution: Constituent Assembly, Constitutional Convention, and the People’s Initiative. The first two requires the need for Legislative Action; the last requires direct participation of the people in amending the Constitution.
So, the best way to ensure that the Federal Agenda gets good traction and maintains steady momentum is for the people to invoke their Sovereign Rights. As enshrined in the Constitution “We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God, in order to build a just and humane society, and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity, the blessings of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace, do ordain and promulgate this Constitution”.
Therefore it is just appropriate that the people express support, active support to the “mandate of the President to build a just and humane society through a government that embodies the aspirations of people.” A government that brings the rule of law and ensures equality across levels of government and societies is a federal government.
The President in his first SONA committed to the shift to the federal system when people express equal importance, commitment, and urgency shown by their participation in the process. He was very clear in sending the message of need and importance and his promise to shift gear on the fourth or fifth year of his administration. That will be next year, so we better hurry. It does not look good if Dabawenyos don’t take the lead on this. The Davao City Council made one already with its resolution of support federalism, and it is hoped that all barangay councils in Davao City will follow. The grand orchestra is in Davao, and the whole country is watching how it will unfold, so we better dash and shine right, let Davao stand out for the Dabawenyo President.
