By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

In a press conference following yesterday’s public consultation on constitutional reform at the Bacolod City Government Center (BCGC), Southern Leyte Lone District Rep. Roger Mercado, who chairs the committee on constitutional amendments, affirmed his confidence federalism will pass before the end of the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“We can have it before the term of Duterte ends,” he stated.
Mercado went on to discuss the public consultation, where he was joined by Negros Occidental Reps. Alfredo Benitez, Mercedes Alvarez, Alejandro Mirasol, and Juliet Marie Ferrer; alongside Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence Lemuel Fortun, Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting, and Compostela Valley Rep. Ruwel Peter Gonzaga.
“We wish our people express their sentiments and feelings about the issues of today and, hopefully, bring this to Congress when we convene again,” said Mercado.
He said they were looking to check the “pulse of the people” to see if there is a need to either amend or revise the Constitution in their effort to transition the current form of government to a federal form.
According to the congressman, there is a resolution which convenes both houses of Congress into a constituent assembly, which has already been passed by the House in its first reading. A committee report has also been approved as of last month, he added.
“We are on schedule,” Mercado said. “After the long recess for Holy Week, we will pass it on second reading and then submit it to the Senate, hopefully, they will approve it within one month.”
He expanded the timeline, explaining Congress will go on recess in June, followed by the State of the Nation Address in July, wherein they will be back in session and can convene the constituent assembly.
“We project the work will be finished in six months – by March of next year,” Mercado said.
When asked about the state of the Negros Island Region (NIR), he said there are two views on NIR when looking at the overall structure of a federal government.
He said there are some looking at an income generation aspect, with plans of fusing Regions 7 and 8 as a federal state, adding there is also the matter of Region 6, that plans to join Palawan, Iloilo and other local regions.
Mercado, however, didn’t elaborate on the second view.
Mercado said the suggestions still needed to be referred to NIR representatives.
Negros Occidental Rep. Mercedes Alvarez also dicsused the issue, saying the Visayan Bloc has already put forward a resolution in support of NIR and will also push for a federal state if federalism passes.
Rep. Alfredo Benitez echoed the same sentiment, asking, “Why change something that is working?” He called NIR “the status quo” and a formal push for NIR statehood will begin after the clustering of federal states is completed./WDJ