Filtered By: Topstories
News
BANGSAMORO, METRO MANILA STATES

Proposed federal charter divides PHL into 5 states


The federal charter proposed by a subcommittee of the House of Representatives' committee on constitutional amendments divides the Philippines into five states, each having its own constitution, capital, flag, anthem and seal.

Under the proposal of the panel's Subcommittee 1, the Federal Republic of the Philippines's five states will be Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, the Bangsamoro and Metro Manila.

The proposal was discussed during Tuesday's hearing of the panel, which is tasked to review several provisions of the 1987 Constitution and come up with new Articles on Federal and Regional Powers and Number of States.

According to the proposal, the basic political units of each states are the provinces, cities, municipal ties and barangays.

Each state will also have its own constitution, name, capital, flag, anthem and seal.

Each state will have its own unicameral State Assembly, which will handle all the legislative functions of the state government. The State Assembly will be composed of two representatives elected from each province and one representative directly elected from each highly-urbanized or independent cities.

A Premiere, who will be elected by all members of the State, will handle all executive functions in each state.

The Premiere will have the authority to appoint state Cabinet members and other state government positions.

Elective state and local officials will have a term of five years with more than two consecutive terms.

The Duterte administration is pushing for a shift to a federal form of government as a means to address issues particularly in strife-torn Mindanao.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez had said that if Congress decides to convene in a constituent assembly this month, the proposed federal charter may be submitted for referendum simultaneously with the scheduled Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections this May. —ALG, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT