Cordillera to merge with Region 1, 2 as Federal State of Northern Luzon

Ifugao solon: Cordillerans’ consensus needed 

By Susan Aro and Carlito Dar

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet – The Cordillera will be merged with Regions 1 and 2 under the proposed Federal State of Northern Luzon.

Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr, an advocate for Cordillera autonomy, bared this saying need for Cordillerans to have a consensus and speak in one voice to move forward on what government set-up the region should have. 

“Cordillerans must have a common stand through a collective consensus on what they really want, the present unitary or federal form of government,” he said.

Given the timeline until 2021 for the possible shift to federal government as being pushed by  President  Duterte, he cited need to start discussing and to have more consultations as inclusive as possible to consider all stakeholders so that nobody will be left behind.

Efforts to move forward for an autonomous region should be intensified in this administration, he said.

The call for autonomous region in the Cordillera is overshadowed by the proposed Bangsamoro autonomous region due to the issue on armed conflict.  Cordillera autonomy was not prioritized in the past administration and the impression is that the Cordillera region is not united without a common stand, according to Baguilat.  

The Cordillera region is still in its temporary status until it becomes an autonomous  as provided in the Constitution. Its establishment as an administrative region is by virtue of Executive Order 220.

Baguilat suggested four options Cordillerans may choose from - to become part of the proposed federal state of Northern Luzon, to become a separate state if it will be considered in Congress, a special region in a federal state or status quo or remain as administrative region.

As a separate state, Baguilat said they still have to discuss with the Upper Congress for a separate state of Cordillera region. But a federal state has to be fiscally stable with major industries to sustain its economy which Baguilat believes the region can given its mineral resources and vegetable industry.

A special region in a federal state is possible as there are models around the world that have federal states with a special autonomous region. But the repercussions would be problems on ancestral domain and indigenous practice of which the federal state has control over the utilization of natural resources, Baguilat said.

Should the shift to federal government push through, Baguilat said an asymmetric form of federalism is being considered such that the Cordillera region will become a special region not just due to its ethnicity or cultural diversity but its economy and topography. It can deal directly with the federal government and will have different levels of autonomy from different states. 

Meanwhile, Benguet Gov. Crescencio Pacalso said, apparently the prospect for autonomy is nil as it is not an urgent bill.

But he agreed should the region pushes for autonomy, the Cordillerans must have one voice.    

In Baguio, former Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said, “Good governance does not depend on governors alone but also on the governed. If you want good governance to prevail in this country the people must also act accordingly.”

Pimentel Jr. told this to participants of the  recent 1st Northern Luzon Federal Forum initiated by Baguio Convenor of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Core or Constitutional Reform towards Federalism recently at Teachers Camp.

Pimentel said although passage of the Local Government Code and other legislation allowed the sharing of some power to local government units, the present democratic system remains unitarian and highly centralized as opposed to the federal form of government.

In support to Duterte’s call for a shift to federal system of government, Pimentel said the proposal is a doable, practical plan to speed up the development of the country and the people.

 Pimentel said under their proposal, there will be 11 federal states (or more) to be created and with Metro Manila converted into federal administrative region, there will be 12 centers of power, finance and development throughout the country.

For the Executive Branch, there will be elected President and Vice President, federal state Governor and vice governor and still with provincial governors, mayors and other LGU officials.

For the Legislative Branch, the two Houses of Congress will be maintained but with the increasing population, the proposal includes increasing the senators to six senators per state plus three legislators to be elected by the people and three sectoral representatives.

For the Judiciary, Pimentel said speedy delivery of justice will be assured under the federal state. With stricter deadline for decisions, there will be SC branches in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao with five assigned justices in each branch.

Pimentel iterated that the proposed federal state will be participatory governance with the people. Whatever mode  to be used in changing the Charter, whether Constitutional Convention, Constitutional Assembly or People’s Initiative, the bottom line still is that the change must be approved by the people in a plebiscite, he said.