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Senate Minority Leader
Aquilino “Nene” Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) has submitted to the Philippine
Senate a joint resolution
to convene the Congress into a constituent assembly for the purpose of revising
the constitution to establish a federal system of government.
Hereunder is a copy of the resolution.
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
)
First Regular
Session
)
SENATE
JOINT RESOLUTION NO.____
Introduced by
SENATOR AQUILINO Q. PIMENTEL, JR., __________________
__________________, _________________________
JOINT RESOLUTION TO CONVENE THE CONGRESS INTO A CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY FOR THE
PURPOSE OF REVISING THE CONSTITUTION TO ESTABLISH A FEDERAL SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT
EXPLANATORY NOTE
Whereas,
the Constitution provides for a unitary system of government where the
country's development programs are centrally determined, planned, funded and
implemented by the national government in Manila;
Whereas,
the concentration of such enormous powers in Manila has created only one center
of finance and development in the country resulting in a highly centralized
system of government;
Whereas, the highly centralized system of government has brought about a
spotty development of the nation where preferential treatment has been given to
localities whose officials are friendly with or have easy access to an
incumbent administration;
Whereas,
this lopsided arrangement has spawned a host of problems including massive
nationwide poverty to runaway insurgencies and rebellions that feed on the
societal inequalities in the nation;
Whereas,
creating eleven States out of the Republic would establish 11 centers of finance
and development in the archipelago as follows:
1. The State of Northern Luzon;
2. The State of Central Luzon;
3. The State of Southern Tagalog;
4. The State of Bicol;
5. The State of Minparom;
6. The State of Eastern Visayas;
7. The State of Central Visayas;
8. The State of Western Visayas;
9. The State of Northern Mindanao;
10. The State of Southern Mindanao; and
11. The State of BangsaMoro
in addition to the country's only one center of finance and development
in Metro-Manila which shall be constituted as the Federal Administrative
Region;
Whereas, the
federalization of the Republic would speed up the development of the entire
nation and help dissipate the causes of the insurgency throughout the
land, particularly, the centuries-old Moro rebellions;
Whereas, the
shift from the unitary system of government to the federal system requires
revising the Constitution;
Whereas,
the revision of the Constitution to establish a federal system of government
may be done in either of three ways: Constitutional Convention, Constituent
Assembly or by Popular Initiative, and
Whereas,
considering all circumstances, it may be most expedient to revise the
Constitution through a Constituent Assembly;
NOW,
THEREFORE, Be it resolved as it is hereby resolved by the Senate with the
House of Representatives concurring, upon a vote of three-fourths of all the
Members of both Houses voting separately, to convene Congress into a
constituent assembly pursuant to Section 1, paragraph 1 of Article XVII of the
Constitution, and revise the Constitution for the purpose of adopting a federal
system of government that will create 11 States, constitute Metro-Manila
as the Federal Administrative Region, and convert the nation into
the Federal Republic of the Philippines.
ARTICLE I
NATIONALTERRITORY
Revision No. 1.
Section 1. Article I. National Territory.
The scope of the national territory is hereby revised by adding a new
paragraph as follows:
The national territory shall likewise include all islands occupied or claimed
by the Republic out of historic title, by discovery or other means recognized
under international law and its exclusive economic zone as defined by the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Revision No. 2.
Section 2. Article I. The Federal Republic and the States.
(A) The Republic of the Philippines is hereby converted into and renamed as
the Federal Republic of the Philippines.
(B) The Federal Republic shall be composed of the following eleven (11)
States:
1. The State of Northern Luzon;
2. The State of Central Luzon;
3. The State of Southern Tagalog;
4. The State of Bicol;
5. The State of Minparom;
6. The State of Eastern Visayas;
7. The State of Central Visayas;
8. The State of Western Visayas;
9. The State of Northern Mindanao;
10. The State of Southern Mindanao, and
11. The State of
BangsaMoro;
in addition to Metro-Manila that is hereby connected into the Federal Administrative Region.
Revision No. 3
Section 3. Article I. Composition of the States.
(A) The State of Northern Luzon.
The State of Northern Luzon shall comprise the provinces of Ilocos
Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva
Vizcaya, Quirino, Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga and Mountain Province, and all the cities, municipalities and
barangays therein. Until provided otherwise by the State Legislature, Tuguegarao City shall be the capital of the State.
(B) The State of Central Luzon.
The State of Central Luzon shall comprise the provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Tarlac
and Zambales, and all the cities, municipalities and barangays therein. Until
provided otherwise by the State Legislature, Tarlac City shall be the capital of the State.
(C) The State of Southern Tagalog.
The State of Southern Tagalog shall comprise the provinces of Rizal,
Quezon, Laguna, Batangas and Cavite and all the cities, municipalities and
barangays therein. Until provided otherwise by the State Legislature, Tagaytay City shall be the capital of the State.
(D) The State
of Minparom.
The State of Minparom shall comprise the provinces of Mindoro Oriental, Mindoro
Occidental, Palawan, Romblon and Marinduque and all the
cities, municipalities and barangays therein. Until provided otherwise by the
State Legislature, Mamburao, Mindoro Occidental shall be the capital of the
State.
(E) The State of Bicol.
The State of Bicol shall comprise the provinces of Albay, Camarines Norte,
Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, and Sorsogon, and all the cities, municipalities
and barangays therein. Until provided otherwise by the State Legislature, Legazpi City shall be the capital of the State.
(F) The State of Eastern Visayas.
The State of Eastern Visayas shall comprise the provinces of Biliran,
Leyte, Southern Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar and Eastern Samar and all the cities, municipalities and
barangays therein. Until provided otherwise by the State Legislature, Catbalogan City shall be the capital of the State.
(G) The State
of Central Visayas.
The State of Central Visayas shall comprise the provinces of Masbate, Negros Oriental, Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor and all the cities,
municipalities and barangays therein. Until provided otherwise by the
State Legislature, Toledo City shall be the capital of the State.
(H) The State of Western Visayas.
The State of Western Visayas shall comprise the provinces of Aklan,
Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo and Negros Occidental and all the
cities, municipalities and barangays therein. Until provided otherwise by the
State Legislature, Iloilo City shall be the capital of the State.
(I) The State of Northern Mindanao.
The State of Northern Mindanao shall comprise the provinces of
Zamboanga del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Camiguin, Misamis Oriental, Bukidnon,
Agusan del Norte, Dinagat Island, Surigao del Norte, Lanao del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur and
Zamboanga Sibugay, and all the cities, municipalities and barangays therein.
Until provided otherwise by the State Legislature, Cagayan de Oro City
shall be the capital of the State.
J) The
State of Southern Mindanao.
The State of Southern Mindanao shall comprise the provinces of Agusan
del Sur, Surigao del Sur, Compostela Valley, Davao, Davao Oriental, Davao del Sur, South Cotabato, Sarangani, Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat
and all the cities, municipalities and barangays therein. Until provided
otherwise by the State Legislature, Davao City shall be the capital of the State.
(K) The State of the BangsaMoro.
The State of the BangsaMoro shall comprise the provinces of Lanao del Sur,
Maguindanao, (Shariff Kabunsuan)[1],
Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi and all the cities, municipalities and barangays
therein. Until provided otherwise by the State Legislature, Marawi City shall be the capital of the
State.
(M) The Federal Administrative Region of Metro-Manila.
The area known as Metropolitan or Metro-Manila is hereby constituted as a
Federal Administrative Region. It shall comprise the cities of Manila, Quezon, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasay, Pasig, Caloocan, Muntinlupa, Las Piñas, Parañaque,
Malabon, Marikina, Taguig, Navotas, Valenzuela and San Juan, and the municipality of Pateros, and all the barangays therein. Until
provided otherwise by Congress, it shall be the seat of the Executive
Department.
Revision No. 4.
New Section. Article I. Dissolution, Secession or Separation of
States.
No State may dissolve itself, secede or separate from the Federal Republic unless it first secures the approval of
two-thirds of its qualified voters in a plebiscite called for that purpose.
Thereafter, the Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of all its members,
voting separately, act on the proposed dissolution, secession or separation of
the State concerned.
[The rest of the articles to follow].
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