No added layer of bureaucracy in autonomous set up
BAGUIO CITY July 11 – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan underscored the establishment of the autonomous region in the Cordillera will not mean an added layer of bureaucracy but instead will mean the downloading of most powers of the national government to the regional government.
Speaking before the joint Regional Development Council (RDC) and Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) meeting last Friday, Domogan underscored the creation of the autonomous region in the Cordillera would mean the efficient and effective discharge of most functions of the national government by the regional government as one of the salient provisions of House Bill (HB) 5343 or the law that seeks to put up an autonomous region will be the devolution of most of the functions of the national government to the autonomous regional government.
“It is not true that there will be an added layer of bureaucracy when the autonomous regional government is established because the local government officials and the regional line agencies will be reporting to the regional government and the regional government will be accountable to the office of the President,” Domogan stressed.
He pointed out the fear of autonomy critics that the establishment of an autonomous region will add a layer of bureaucracy is unjustified because most of the functions of the national government, except foreign relations, currency, national defense, among others, will be devolved to the regional government.
Among the powers being requested by the RDC-CAR to be devolved to the autonomous regional government include the issuance of exploration permits for mining and renewable energy generation, mineral production sharing agreements (MPSAs), water rights, certificate of precondition for various environmentally critical projects and ancestral domain.
He emphasized the regional line agencies will co-exist with the autonomous regional government because they have huge allocations from their counterparts in the national government for implementing various programs and projects in the different parts of the region.
According to him, once the functions of the national government will be devolved to the autonomous regional government, it will be easier for the local governments and the regional line agencies to transact business for implementing various programs and projects regionwide because the decision-making will be within the regional government.
He claimed the regional government will be in a better position to develop programs and projects suitable to existing conditions in the region instead of being tied up with the general policies, programs and projects of the national government.
He called on various sectors to understand the pertinent provisions of HB 5343 to see for themselves that the proposed autonomy law will be beneficial to the people of the region.
As to Federalism, Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan warned of a possible breakup of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) once Congress, as a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution, will decide to delete the provisions that mandate the establishment of autonomous regions in the Cordillera and Muslim Mindanao to suit the administration’s proposal to shift from the present presidential form to a federal form of government.
The local chief executive reminded the potential breakup of the Cordillera is not a threat to those who are against the renewed quest for regional autonomy but it is a reality that can happen once a number of provinces will ratify the autonomy law once enacted by Congress and signed into law by the President and once the constitutional provisions mandating the establishment of autonomous regions will be deleted during the charter change.
“We do not intend to threaten anyone regarding the possible disintegration of our region in the future once the situation warrants it that is why it is high time for us to unite to achieve autonomy as this might be our last chance to do so amidst the administration’s planned shift to a federal form of government within the term of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
He added that Cordillerans are lucky because President Duterte, through Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza, is supportive of the region’s renewed quest for regional autonomy unlike during the previous administration and Cordillerans must reciprocate the support by showing their interest in establishing the autonomous region in the Cordillera.
Domogan pointed out Cordillerans were actually treated as second-class citizens when some parts of the CAR were parts of Region I and II during the martial law regime and people do not want the problem to be repeated once the region will disintegrate if the autonomy law is rejected or once the renewed quest for regional autonomy will be overtaken by the planned shift to a federal form in the future.
Republic Act 4695 or the Division Law divided the previous Mountain Province into four independent provinces namely, Bontoc that retained the old name of Mountain Province, Ifugao, Kalinga-Apayao and Benguet. However, when former President Ferdinand Marcos issued Batas Pambansa No. 1 or the decree that divided the country into regions, the Cordillera was again disintegrated wherein Benguet, Baguio City and Mountain Province went to Region I while Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao became parts of Region II.
After the signing of the September 13, 1986 historic Mount Data peace agreement, former President Corazon C. Aquino issued Executive Order No. 220 that reconfigured the Cordillera Administrative Region which brought back Benguet, Baguio City and Mountain Province from Region I including Abra and Ifugao and Kalinga-Apayao from Region II to comprise the CAR. Later, the former Kalinga-Apayao area was divided into two independent provinces by virtue of Republic Act 7878. Under the provisions of House Bill 5343 or the bill that seeks to establish the autonomous region in the Cordillera, cities and provinces that will not vote in favor of the establishment of an autonomous region in the Cordillera will revert back to their original regions allowing the cities and provinces that voted in favor of the autonomy law to compose the autonomous region in the Cordillera.** By Dexter A. See
