MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang sees no problem if the President’s daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio, opposes her father’s proposal for a shift to a federal form of government.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the younger Duterte was entitled to her own opinion and the Palace respected it.
“You know everyone of us has her or his ideas on how to solve certain problems. Mayor Sara has her own concept. We respect that,” Panelo said at a press briefing on Monday.
But he said the Duterte administration would not waver in its position to push for federalism.
“Yes, and we welcome all other contrapositions and let the people decide,” he said.
Power to landlords
The Palace issued the statement after Mayor Duterte expressed her objection to federalism because she said it might put more resources and power in the hands of Mindanao’s warlords.
Federalism, she said, was a decision best left to Congress and the President.
Panelo said the views of the President’s daughter would not affect the administration’s campaign to shift to federalism as this would depend on the framers of the Constitution and the Filipinos themselves.
“Who will decide on it, if not the framers of the Constitution? Not Mayor Sara or the President. Still [it’s] the framers of the Constitution that will decide and, ultimately, the people of the Philippines,” he said.
Asked if the mayor’s comment could sway support away from federalism, Panelo said it depended on “each individual conscience” of the framers of the Constitution and the people themselves.
“Even if it’s in the provision of the Constitution, it’s useless if the whole draft is rejected. It’s still the Filipinos [who will decide],” he said.