Bongbong Marcos: PH doing first step of federal gov’t ‘in all but name’

President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. speaks during the oath-taking of new Partido Federal ng Pilipinas members at the Heroes Hall of Malacañan Palace on Thursday, August 24, 2023. Photo by Yummie Dingding / PPA POOL

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday said that the country is “doing the first step of the federal government… in all but name.”

During the oath-taking ceremony of new members of his political party, Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), Marcos explained the devolution of power to local governments, which the national government has been doing, marks the beginning of the process for federalism.

“What we are talking about here is federalism, and what we have started to do, kahit (even) in all but name, ang ginagawa ay talagang ibinibigay ang discretion, ang power, ang function, hangga’t maaari, sa pinaka mababa na level na maari nating gawin. So we are doing the first step of the federal government for the Philippines, in all but name,” he told new members of PFP, which he chairs.

(What we are talking about here is federalism, and what we have started to do, even in all but name, what is being done is really giving the discretion, the power, the function, as much as possible, to the lowest level that we can do. So we are doing the first step of the federal government for the Philippines, in all but name.)

Marcos said the power should not be centralized in Manila, as it should be distributed across the country.

“If the power centers only belong here in Manila, then pabagsakin mo ang Manila, bagsak ang buong Pilipinas (then make Manila fall, the entire Philippines will fall). But with the power centers being given to the local government, to the local districts, and to those who are operating on the local level, and thereby bringing those power centers of many, many, many places, it makes for a more stable political structure and makes a more stable political life,” he explained.

The President swore into PFP new members, including his own son, Ilocos Norte First District Representative Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos.

The ceremony was held in Malacañang,

In January 2022, Marcos said that a federal system of government suits the Philippines, but changing the 1987 Constitution to achieve it may not be easy.

When he was senator in 2017, he said the Philippines may not be ready yet to shift from the present unitary presidential government to a federal and parliamentary government.

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