FEDERALISM SHOULD BE FOR ENTIRE COUNTRY, NOT ONLY FOR MUSLIM MINDANAO -- PIMENTEL

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Nene" Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today said the proposed federal system of government should be set up not only in Muslim Mindanao but for the entire country.

Pimentel was reacting to the statement of some Malacañang officials that the administration is only espousing the establishment of a BangsaMoro federal state to meet a demand of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and break the protracted deadlock in the peace negotiation.

"The government-MILF talks will go around in circles unless the proposal to adopt the federal system for the entire country is made categorically by the government. It won't do to entice the acquiescence of the Moro representatives to dangle the ploy to create a BangsaMoro Federal State in isolation of the entire country."

Pimentel pointed out that the proposal to create even a BangsaMoro federal state alone would need the approval of the entire country pursuant to the Constitution.

"The rest of the country would be hard put to ratify the proposal to create a BangsaMoro federal state if the entire country is not federalized."

The minority leader said there will be a lot of objections from other regions of the country if the federal system will apply only to Muslim Mindanao because of the advantages it will bring.

According to Pimentel, the other regions of the country would not want a situation where it would appear that the Moros are favored over the rest of the nation.

If the Arroyo government will limit the federal setup to Muslim Mindanao, he said this would be seen as an attempt to buy peace at the expense of the other regions.

"Reason dictates that the proposal to adopt the federal system must be nationwide, not only Muslim Mindanao-wide. Otherwise, the proposal might not stand any chance of being ratified," he added.

As proposed by Pimentel, the country will have 10 component federal states, while Metro Manila will become a special administration region similar to Washington D.C. in the United States and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

These federal states will be four in Luzon - (Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Bicol area), three in the Visayas (Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas and Western Visayas); and three in Mindanao (Northern Mindanao, Muslim Mindanao and Southern Mindanao).

Pimentel said that even if the federalism proposal is approved and adopted during the term of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, it will take time before it can be implemented.

He said among the issues that will have to be threshed out is what kind of legislative and judicial structure will be adopted. He said it may not be necessary for all the federal states to have its own Supreme Court just like in the US.

Also, he said the geographical boundaries of the component federal states will have to be negotiated and delineated.