THE REGIONAL consultations on the draft of a new Constitution and federalism will hold its second session Tuesday, June 26, in Baguio City, with autonomy and ancestral domain among the main topics to be tackled.
Baguio is part of the Cordillera Autonomous Region, which has been lobbying for a stronger self-governing system through the passage of a law creating the Autonomous Region of the Cordillera.
“Federalism, in essence, is about empowering the regions and this, I believe, would give a certain level of autonomy not just to the Cordillera Region, but to the other regions in the Philippines” Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Assistant Secretary Jonathan E. Malaya said in a statement yesterday.
The DILG and the Consultative Committee to Review the Constitution (ConCom) are holding the road show.
Today’s stop will also focus on issues over ancestral domain, according to the DILG.
Section 15 of the 1987 Constitution provides for the creation of autonomous regions for minority groups in the Cordillera and Muslim Mindanao.
“The creation of CAR will be constitutionalized,” said ConCom member Virgilio C. Bautista during the CAR regional consultation on Monday.
“There is no law that can amend it. Once it becomes constitutionalized, it becomes permanent,” he added.
ConCom member Eddie M. Alih, for his part, said, ”There will be specific provisions for Cordillera.”
SECURITY
The ConCom also discussed yesterday the additional article to the draft relating to national security and public order.
These, according to ConCom member Jose Martin A. Loon, will respond to “new and evolving threats to national security.”
“Forms of threats to security aren’t limited to traditional ones such as gun battle or ground wars. It has expanded to several modalities, which includes cyber-warfare that can damage a country.”
“We will be one of the most updated constitutions in the world,” he added. — Gillian M. Cortez

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