Pideral Commentary: Bangsamoro Political Entity? Why not make the entire Philippine political subdivisions to be transformed into Federal States?

The 2012 Framework Agreement was promulgated on behalf of the Philippine Government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (a separatist movement from the Southern Philippines) for the creation of Bangsamoro Political entity.  This supposed Bangsamoro entity,  according to the Framework Agreement, will replace the current ARMM with a more empowered and more equitable system.

But what is more empowered than it was still an ARMM before? Does it have a less effective, empowered and equitable government system for the ARMM when it was still an ARMM? The parties did not give justifiable reasons for this.  The only reason they gave was the severe poverty escalating throughout the ARMM (2012, Framework Agreement).  More so, when it has been concluded that the only way to improve the social condition or status-quo of the ARMM is to replace it with the Bangsamoro political entity, a strong muslim separatist movement have supported it like the MILF.  But the question now arises: does ARMM the only regions that are suffering from severe poverty in the Philippines? Hardly.

 When in this present system Muslim Political Rivalries among muslim families are severe and  worsen how much more if they will have their own independent authority?  This is the trouble: there is not a single phrase in the framework agreement that focuses on the presentation to legislative department.  What does this mean? It does mean that Bangsamoro entity will have its own legislative department and is unique and supplementary to their own laws which is Shari'ah Law and is concurrent to national laws.  Puting aside the Bangsamoro political entity as apart from the national government will only increase ethnic conflict, warlordism, and the so-called Muslim political rivalries will worsen. Further, in the framework agreement it states that the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces will be put "beyond use" through a process of decommissioning. (Framework Agreement, 2012).  Is this really the case why the government agreed to have a convention regarding the Framework Agreement creating Bangsamoro political entity? To put an end against war and call for agreement for demarcation of state-enemy with providing them aid and relief to their wishes. Well, if that's the case, regions having rebel infested areas must intensify their struggle to call also for the same to meet their wishes, it is clear that the Government has a tremendous and overwhelming support over this case. But do we really need to have an action such as that?

There is a lot of regions that suffered from poverty - and one thing which I don't like is the dependency of the region on the national government.  R.A 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code thus provided the local government units economically only to levy, collect, and accumulate taxes and to sustain and generate projects for source revenue of the local government.  Politically, it is still dependent to the national government in terms of its structure, organizations, committee of the government, the president can still supervise, mandate and impose regulations to it and lastly the representation to congress.  LGU's have legislative councils yet it is not enough to support the overwhelming majority of the people in its manner of presentation and participation- it is not fully autonomous.  But then there are cases by which the president can supervise the LGU provided by the Local Government Code but in practice it shows the contrary. How much more in Judicial aspect? Regions have only RTC's they don't have regional superior court or regional supreme court that would finalize the judgment of cases.  When RTC's cases will appeal to the supreme court these will be junked because of so many cases therein pending. That's why in familiar query Justice delayed is justice denied.

Why can't the Government call for a total change of the government system to leap into Federal system? Such as having a biases, unfairness, and unequal representation, maldistribution of revenue among regions shall be diminish and overcome.  Putting too much emphasis on Bangsamoro political entity will not solve the problem of the Philippines as a whole unless if we transform the present unitary presidential system into Federal.  Whereby all regions will turn into local state or States having a constitution, congress and supreme court of their own;  full political, economic and judicial autonomy, to decide whichever economic system and measures shall be used by a certain state depending upon its economic resource. Retaining 80% of tax revenue to the state and contributing 10% to the national government for support.  I firmly believe that this is the only way the government can improve the status-quo of the Philippines.  Rather than only Bangsamoro political entity shall be granted with the same or Mindanaoans will soon calling for a total change.  Would you wait for that Mr. President? Don't be.