Andanar: Shift to federalism is within Duterte’s term

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar on Thursday said there will no term extension for President Rodrigo Duterte since the shift to a federal form of government is expected within his six-year term.

Andanar said Duterte assured him that the country will shift to federalism within his term. He, nonetheless, said the final say still lies with Congress and the Filipino people should it undergo a plebiscite.

"Nagkausap kami ng pangulo nung December at tinanong ko siya kung ano talaga ang plano natin dito sa federalism sapagkat kami sa PCOO ay maghahanda rin kami ng communication strategy," Andanar said in an interview on GMA News' Unang Balita.

"Sabi niya tuloy itong federalism, gagawin natin ito dahil ito ay isang pangako ng ating pangulo noong kampanya. Kung gagawin natin ito, [it is] within the term of the president, hindi natin alam kung next year or the following year or 2021 or 2022," he added.

"Yun naman talaga ang pangarap natin, ng ating pangulo. But then again, ang magde-decide niyan ay yung mga congressmen at senador, at eventually ang taong bayan 'pag dumaan sa plebisito," Andanar said.

On Wednesday, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez hinted the possibility that no election will be held in 2019 if the government successfully transitions into a federal one.

Alvarez said that "anything is possible" as regards the scenario of no elections in 2019.

Andanar reiterated the remarks of presidential spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday in saying that the mid-term elections will push through in 2019 since it has been mandated by law.

"Tuloy ang 2019 elections, of course tuloy. Iba naman ang kaso ng 2019 elections, nasa batas 'yan. Iba naman ang kampanya sa federalism," he said. — Joseph Tristan Roxas/RSJ, GMA News