DILG to push for inclusion of LGUs in revised draft federal constitution

THE DEPARTMENT of Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Friday said it will “insist” that the classification of local government units (LGUs) be reinstated in the draft federal constitution, which is up for review and revisions.
The draft submitted by the Consultative Committee (ConCom) for amending the 1987 Constitution covers only up to regional-level governments, and has taken out provincial, city, and municipal LGUs.
“The reason why the ConCom removed the LGUs from the Constitution is, in common federal practice, hanggang region lang talaga (it’s really only up to the region). So, you go to the constitution of Germany, you just have the federal government and the landers. So, it’s common practice,” DILG Assistant Secretary Jonathan E. Malaya said in a press briefing at the Palace on Friday, Sept. 7.
“But that doesn’t mean that we follow the common practice; (this is) the entire concept of bayanihan (community spirit) federalism. And the position of DILG here is there is nothing wrong if we put back the LGUs in the constitution. But of course, the configuration, the amalgamation of the different, it would be up to regions,” he said, speaking in mixed English and Filipino.
He noted that President Rodrigo R. Duterte has already given his order to “improve” the draft federal constitution, which was submitted to him by the ConCom.
Mr. Malaya also explained that when the ConCom was drafting the draft federal constitution, “They did not intend to abolish any of the levels of government.”
“So we will, as department, insist that in the improved federal constitution, we will put back the classifications of the LGUs just to dispel the concerns of the various leagues,” he said. — Arjay L. Balinbin