Thousands gather in support of federal gov’t in QC Circle

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar. ALBERT ALCAIN/Presidential Photo

Thousands gathered over the weekend at Quezon Memorial Circle to express support on the plan of the government to shift to federalism.

People from various parts of the country attended on Saturday the launching of “Fed-ibig,” a movement supporting the shift to a federalist system of government.

Presidential Communication Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar said in a chance interview that he had a conversation with President Rodrigo Duterte about his plan to change the form of government in the country.

According to Andanar, Duterte said that the shift to federalism would push through.

“Nagkaroon po kami ng isang conversation, at tinanong ko po siya kung anong plano sa federalism. Sabi niya po ay tuloy,” Andanar said.

(We had a conversation and I asked him about his plan on federalism. He said that it will push through.)

“Continuous po ang ating suporta sa federalism (Our support for federalism is continuous). So we would be here to support Fed-ibig and we would be here to support of course the constitutional committee,” he said.

In a separate interview, Atty. Raul Lambino, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) deputy secretary general for constitutional reform, urged the Congress to “immediately act” on the planned shift to federalism.

“Dapat gumalaw kaagad ang Kongreso ng Pilipinas para maging maayos yung pagbabago ng sistema ng gobyerno,” he said.

(The Congress must act immediately so that the shift of government would be done well.)

“Nakikita natin na yung ating mga kababayan, lalong lalo na yung nasa Mindanao, na hindi na sila makapag hintay doon sa matagal na nilang pinapangarap na kapayapaan, reporma, at pagbabago sa kanilang pamumuhay,” he added.

(We see that our countrymen, especially in Mindanao, can’t wait any longer for the freedom, reform, and changes in their lives that they have been wishing for.) /je