Senate faces hectic 1st quarter in 2017

The Senate faces a busy first quarter in 2017, with its agenda containing critical measures, including legislation that would allow the Philippines to shift to the federal form of government.

The Senate went on recess for the holidays on Dec. 16. It will return on Jan. 18.

“We will rest this Christmas season. And January to March, I promise you, [we’ll have] a hectic schedule. We have a lot to do,” Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said at a recent fellowship with Senate reporters.

“Federalism will be in full swing,” said Pimentel, a staunch advocate of the federal system like his father, former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

The shift to federalism is a legislative priority for the administration of President Duterte, who is confident it will clear Congress, which is controlled by his allies.

‘Good six months’

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the Senate had “a good six months” under the new administration, particularly with the timely passage of the 2017 national budget.

“I think we had a good six months, considering we were engrossed in the budget deliberation, we were still able to produce,” Lacson said.

Among the measures that passed on the committee level and brought to the floor for debate this year were measures granting emergency powers for the executive to deal with the traffic crisis and expanding exemptions under the Anti-Wiretapping Law to allow taps on drug, money laundering, coup d’etat and robbery suspects.

“There are many bills that could be passed easily because they have been sponsored to the floor, some are going through interpellation. I just hope when we return in January, one to two months, give or take, we will be able to pass important pieces of legislation,” Lacson said.

Pending are separate bills filed by Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon and Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri for the amendment of the 1987 Constitution through a constitutional convention.

Autonomous states

The proposals are seen as the initial step toward the shift to federalism, a system that would devolve governmental powers to the provinces, making them autonomous states that can spearhead countryside development, which advocates say is hampered by the current centralized system.

The Pimentels held a forum on federalism earlier this year to push for a “uniquely Filipino” system that would borrow best practices from countries in Europe, North America, Australia, Malaysia and “emerging federations” in South America and Africa.

In remarks at the forum held in August, Pimentel, the current Senate leader, said “there is no time to lose,” as federalism is critical to pursuit of peace and development in conflict-torn Mindanao.

11 federal states

His father has proposed the division of the Philippines into 11 federal states: four in Luzon—Northern Luzon (the current Regions 1, 2 and the Cordillera Administration Region), Central Luzon (Region 3), Southern Tagalog (Region 4A) and Bicol.

Metro Manila will not become a separate state. It will become “the federal capital.”

The Visayas will have four states: Eastern Visayas (the current Region 8), Central Visayas (Region 7), Western Visayas (Region 6) and a new grouping for the provinces of Mindoro, Palawan, Romblon and Marinduque.

Mindanao will have three states: Northern Mindanao (the current Regions 9, 10 and the northern half of Region 13), Southern Mindanao (the current Region 11, 12 and the southern half of Region 13), and a separate federal state for the envisioned Bangsamoro.