Ex-Chief Justice Davide: Federalism will ‘totally divide’ PHL

Former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. on Wednesday said shifting to a federal form of government will "totally divide" the country.

Davide, one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution, reiterated in an Unang Hirit interview that he is "totally against" amending the 1987 Constitution.

"And so if you adapt federalism, you will be dividing the country into various so-called states or regions...All these disconfiguring, [inaudible] and tinkering with our Constitution will result really in a totally divided Philippines and it would create a very bloated bureaucracy because you will have additional layers or strata of government, this time it is the so-called states," he said.

He also reiterated that federalism is anti-poor, adding that it would be "disastrous" for Filipinos because of "double taxation."

Davide said that the government would have to impose two forms of taxation which is the "state tax" and "federal tax" with the proposed shift to federalism.

"Besides these are not the only taxes that will be imposed, you have more units already of government imposing new raised up taxes even for real estate taxes, even for inheritance taxes...you will be creating a lot of offices and therefore it would result to establishment of more political dynasties, feudal lords," he said.

"I will pity our business[men] under the federal system, they will be dealing with several layers of government, therefore they will be subjected to oppression and many businesses will even put up their own business empires because political dynasties would compete with them and they will be at the mercy of these political leaders." he added.

"So instead of just maintaining one unit of government, the unitary, we will have a multiplication of so many," Davide said.

Davide, meanwhile, said that if charter change will push through, it would be "hypothetically best" to be done in a constitutional convention in which delegates will be elected.

He added that if a constituent assembly will be formed, the Senate and the House of Representatives should vote separately and not jointly.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who is pushing for a shift to federalism, has formed a consultative committee that will review the 1987 Constitution.

Former Chief Justice Reynato Puno has been named as head of the panel with 18 other members. —Marlly Rome Bondoc/ALG, GMA News