Presidential Adviser for Western Visayas Rafael Coscolluela yesterday said advocates for federalism would probably enter into "some kind of a compromise" with those pushing for a parliamentary form of government just to keep the ball rolling for Charter change.

Coscolluela, in an interview at a Greenpeace activity at the BREDCO port, said that the government-backed Constitutional Commission, chaired by federalist Jose Abueva, may sound like a spokesman for a parliamentary government, but "there seems to be some kind of a compromise being worked out."

This, he said, is because the federalists are looking at a worst-case scenario that nothing will happen if they will adopt a hardline position.

The Senate may not move and the campaign for federalism will eventually die its natural death, Coscolluela said.

We could just move forward a little and hope that eventually, he said, federalism will be achieved.

In a Federal system, power is divided in two levels: one at the center and one in each territory/state. Power at the local level is not subject to national alteration.

Local government units from Mindanao and Visayas are pushing for federalism to be more empowered in the utilization of its resources and escape from the clutches of the Metro Manila-centered national government.

In a parliamentary system, both the Senate and the House of Representatives will be abolished, giving way to a unicameral lawmaking body and a prime minister will be chosen.*NLG

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