Duterte denies leading federalism drive in Cebu
October 15, 2014 at 09:38am
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte clarified that he visited Cebu City last October 5 mainly to induct the new set of officers of the Federal Advocates for a Better Philippines. He wasn't there to start a campaign for a federal form of government nationwide.
The mayor, however, said that he would be promoting federalism anywhere and everywhere he would be invited for a talk – as he did last week in two gatherings here.
Duterte maintained that federalism is the only solution he sees that would address not just the problem if insurgency in Mindanao but also the wealth-sharing disparity as well.
He feared that, if ever the Bangsamoro Basic Law would not pass through Congress, let alone a plebiscite, some sectors might exercise their right to self-determination.
The right of nations to self-determination, he pointed out, is a cardinal principle in modern international law binding, as such, on the United Nations.
It means that nations, based on respect for the principle of equal rights and fair equality of opportunity, have the right to freely choose their sovereignty and international political status with no external compulsion or interference.
Duterte said that, if ever the Moro community in Mindanao would exercise this right, then it would result in a fragmented Mindanao. He said that at the moment, the Muslim leaders he talked to are in favor of a shift to federal form of government.
He said this chance must be taken by the national government as an opportunity to appease everyone and not just one sector of the Moro community.
Duterte has been saying that there must be separate state for the Bangsamoro led by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsatausug led by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
Aside from that, Duterte said other ethnic groups in the Visayas and Mindanao must also be given the chance to form their own separate states.
Source: 9news.ph
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