Maybe not federalism, but parliamentary gov’t

I have long been an advocate of a parliamentary-federal system for the Philippines. This means a shift from the presidential to the parliamentary and from the unitary to the federal systems of government. These structures are well-known to the reader, so I need not define them here. However, recent developments and a deeper insight into the issues have compelled me to rethink some of my earlier conclusions. I have not taken a complete U-turn. But I would like to see a wider discussion.

One broadsheet known for pushing its own political agendas tried to kick off the campaign for federalism last week by running a big banner story on a resolution calling for a constituent assembly (ConAss) to fast-track the proposed change. The resolution was filed in the House of Representatives by Rep. Alfredo Benitez, third district of Negros Occidental, one of the richest men in Congress and head of a bloc of congressmen loyal to his own cause. Since then Senate President Franklin Drilon has proposed electing delegates to a constitutional convention by January 2017.