MANILA, Philippines – Is federalism truly the key to much-needed progress in Mindanao, as Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte – the only presidential candidate from the island – claims? 

Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II on Monday, March 28, differed from this view, pointing out that, under the current administration, more funds had been poured into the island region. 

“Ang tingin ko sa federalism, this is another way of saying, ‘We want more resources.’ Hindi nila nakikita sa kasalukuyang sistema ‘yung pagtanggap ng pagdagdag ng resources, kaya naghahanap sila ng ibang paraan, federalism, at iba pang mga paraan,” Roxas told reporters in a chance interview during a visit to Divisoria in the city of Manila. 

(The way I see it, federalism is another way of saying, “We want more resources.” But they don’t see that, under the current system, resources have already been given to them, so they’re looking for other means, like federalism.) 

Another presidential candidate, Senator Grace Poe, had long said that shifting to federalism has to be studied carefully, citing fears that such system would further entrench political dysnasties.

Citing government data, Roxas said over P260 billion in infrastructure projects had been allocated to Mindanao – a big jump from the P125 billion or so under previous administrations. It was data that Roxas had mentioned before, when he and President Benigno Aquino III campaigned in Davao City. 

“So, do we have a lot of catching up to do? Yes, we have to catch up. Pero hindi ang sagot federalism (But federalism is not the answer),” Roxas told reporters. 

Beside, Roxas pointed out, a federal system means “another layer of taxes.” 

“Kung gusto ninyo ng mas dagdag na buwis, federalism ang inyong pipiliin. Bakit? Tignan niyo lahat ng federal states. US may federal income tax at state income tax. Sa Malaysia. Lahat ng mga federal systems merong buwis na pang-nasyonal at merong buwis na pang-lokal. Sa atin, unitary system, isang buwis lang, at ipinapadala sa lokal na nakokolekta ang pera,” the former investment banker said. 

(If you want more taxes, choose federalism. Why? Look at federal states. The United States has federal income tax and state income tax. In Malaysia as well. All of the federal systems around the the world have taxes at the national and local levels. In the Philippines, we have a unitary system, it’s just one tax and these taxes are remitted to local governments.) 

Duterte, the lone Mindanaoan candidate and a staunch advocate of a shift to federalism, insists that “nothing short of federalism will bring peace to Mindanao.”

But Roxas pointed out current programs in place, such as the bottom-up budgetting process (BUB) wherein local government units get to pick projects that are eventually funded by the national government. An expanded BUB program – worth P100 billion – is among Roxas’ campaign promises. 

“Lahat ‘yan may pinupukpok, may nilalagari, may tinatayo, may ginagawa, may tinatrabaho na kabutihan o kaginhawahan para sa ating mga kababayan,” he added. (These are things that are being worked out for the betterment of our countrymen.)

Prior to his visit to Divisoria, Roxas campaigned at the Islamic Center in Manila, the biggest Muslim community in the Luzon area. Roxas promised residents that he would find a solution to decades-long conflict in parts of Mindanao. 

In a statement on Tuesday, Duterte’s spokesman Peter Laviña criticized Roxas for “misleading” the public.

“It is not about imposing taxes. It is about how taxes are shared and spent,” he said in a statement. 

Monday also happened to be the second anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro, a document that would have paved the way to the creation of the Bangsamoro Region. The proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), however, failed to pass Congress in time. 

“Patuloy ang ating paghahanap sa kapayapaan, dahil kung walang kapayapaan, mahirap ang progreso. ‘Yung promise of Midnanao, ilang dekada na ‘yan eh. Naka-short pants pa lang ako, promise of Mindanao na ‘yan. Subalit hindi nagtatagumpay dahil patuloy ang hidwaan, putukan, bombahan,” said Roxas. 

(We’ll continue to seek peace because, without peace, progress is impossible. The promise of Mindanao is decades-old. I was still in short pants when it was made. But it failed because of continuing conflict.) 

Roxas said that, should he be elected president, he wants “broad consultations” as they pitch for the BBL anew.

“Ano itong mga dahilan kung bakit hindi ito napasa ng Kongreso at ng Senado? Kailangan nating linawin ‘yan para nasa tama din ang ating kilos,” he said. (What are the reasons it failed to pass Congress and the Senate? We need to know so we make the right decisions.)

The Aquino administration had hoped for the easy passage of the BBL, but it encountered resistance following the bloody “Oplan Exodus,” which triggered clashes between police and Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters and other armed groups in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

Several lawmakers withdrew their support from the measure, as popular support for it lessened. – Rappler.com