BAGUIO CITY – The Regional Development Council (RDC) in the Cordillera wants President Rodrigo R. Duterte to include Cordillerans in the 25-man Constitutional Study Commission tasked to review the 1987 Constitution in preparation for the administration’s planned shift to federal form of government in the future.
Earlier, the President issued Executive Order (EO) No. 10 dated December 7, 2016 which created the Palace Consultative Committee to review the 1987 Constitution and make the appropriate recommendations on what steps to undertake to fast track the administration’s planned shift to federal form of government.
The RDC-CAR underscored it is important for the President to consider including in the review committee veteran Cordillera leaders who can articulate the issues on regional autonomy and development to make government realize the importance of granting autonomy to the Cordillera in the light of the on-going move to shift to federal form of government within the next several years.
Under the order, the review committee is tasked to conduct consultations nationwide on the proposed study of the Constitution that will not be limited to structure and powers of the government, local governance and economic policies.
The RDC-CAR stated the Cordilleran nominees to the review committee deserve consideration by the Office of the President as the proposed bill creating the Autonomous Region in the Cordillera was already filed in the House of Representatives by the several Cordillera lawmakers.
The review committee shall endeavour to complete its assigned work on or before the lapse of six months from the date it will be convened after its presentation to the President of its report, recommendations and proposals and that it shall eventually wind up its operations.
Upon the president’s transmittal of the committee’s recommendations and proposals to Congress, the committee shall cease to exist.
The RDC-CAR remains optimistic that President Duterte will consider appointing Cordillerans to be part of the 25-man review committee once the names of those who will compose the committee will be released so that issues and concerns in relation to the region’s renewed quest for regional autonomy will be considered in the crafting of their recommendations and proposals on how to go about the introduction of changes to the 1987 Constitution in relation to the administration’s bid to shift to federal form of government.
The RDC-CAR expressed it support to the administration’s bid to shift to federal form of government but it decided to first pursue the quest for regional autonomy as the establishment of an autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao and the Cordillera is already enshrined in the Constitution and because of the fact that an autonomous region can also exist within a federal state.
The Cordillera is being proposed to be included in the Federal State of Northern Luzon which will be composed of Regions I, II and this arrangement might render the Cordillera neglected once it is in the regions with vast tracks of lands and huge populations.
By HENT
