Solon vows to introduce clause to guarantee PH territorial integrity

Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Bataan Representative Geraldine Roman on Tuesday said that if the country would implement federalism and proceed to change the Constitution, she will introduce a clause that aims to guarantee the country’s territorial integrity.

The solon cited potential threat to the territorial integrity of the country that federalism might suppose, given our geographic situation, our linguistic and cultural differences, strong sense of regionalism and contrasting economies.

“Pero ako, ito ang isa bagay lang po ang ginaguarantee ko po sa inyong lahat, ‘pag binago po natin ang Saligang Batas, magiintroduce po ako ng isang (I could guarantee you one thing. If we change the Constitution, I would introduce a) clause that will guarantee our territorial integrity,” she said in an interview with INQ&A.

President Rodrigo Duterte has been pushing for federalism in the country, stressing that the system was the key to bringing peace to conflict-ridden Mindanao. The President also expressed that he wants the federalism put in place during his term and urged Congress to fast-track the system.

READ: Fast-track federalism, Duterte urges Congress

The solon said her experience in federalism was more direct because she studied and lived in Spain, which has a federalism system and that she would like to follow the example of the Spanish Constitution of 1978.

“Kaya ‘yung mga separate communities nila doon sa Spain, sa Basque region at saka sa Catalonia, walang magawa, kasi meron sila ng parang safety clause na nagsasaad ng any move sa (The separate communities in Spain, in Basque region and Catalonia, couldn’t do anything because they have safety clause which indicates that any move in) referendums in the direction of self-determination or separation from the rest of the state is not allowed,” she added.

She said that federalism will hasten the delivery of services and decision processes and urged her colleagues in Congress to find an exact formula.

“Ang click dito, para sa lahat mga kasamahan ko sa Congreso, mga magdadraft nitong batas, at saka magbabago ng ating Constitution, maghanap tayo ng eksaktong formula to address ‘yung ating cirmustances, peculiarities and nuances dito sa Pilipinas so kailangan, realistic tayo, alamin natin na ang ganito sitwasyon natin, kakaiba,” Roman said.

(To all my colleagues in the Congress, those who will draft the law and change our Constitution, let’s find an exact formula to address our cirmustances, peculiarities and nuances here in the Philippines so we should be realistic and we should consider that our situation different.) RAM