Hugpong Federal promises President they'll campaign more for Federalism

The President speaks before the nation September 11 to discuss among other things the advances of his advocacy on Federalism. He pitches the need to empower the regions for their own development.

The Hugpong Federal Movement of the Philippines, the grassroots campaign volunteers during the Listening Tour to popularize the advocacy of President Rodrigo Duterte, has vowed  to intensify its information drive as the clamor for the shift to a federal system is gaining ground nationwide.

Celso Tizon, Chairman of HFMP, thanked President Duterte who acknowledged the success of popularizing Federalism in the provinces in his address to the nation on Monday afternoon.

He said this has given the grassroots movement inspiration to pursue the education campaign even more as the country prepares to have a new Federal Constitution defining the shift to a federal system of government.

Tizon said Federalism will give back power to the regions, have more resources to address their own development and tap the vast potentials of the provinces in terms of human and natural resources to contribute to the over-all growth of the country's economy.

He said HFMP is scheduled to undertake more education and information activities in partnership with and support to the Department of Interior & Local Government (DILG), with the Constitutional Commission and other similar-minded organizations here and abroad among overseas Filipinos.

He said HFMP has just concluded its National Mindanao Summit in Cagayan de Oro attended by guest speaker Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol. It was also a show of force to condemn the senseless killing of HFMP Luzon Head Tim Saday, who was also a barangay captain in his hometown in Cabantao, Rosario, Agusan del Sur, he added.

Saday was shot several times near his residence in Cabantao after attending a DILG-sponsored Federalism Roadshow in Butuan City on September 6. He was recently elected barangay captain and has unearthed anomalies in his barangay involving ghost projects and missing barangay funds. He has since received death threats.

Tizon said a National Luzon Summit is scheduled on September 27 in Vigan, Ilocos Sur while barangay, municipal and provincial level federalism fora continues nationwide.