MANILA, Philippines - Senate Majority Leader and Nationalista Party vice presidential bet Alan Peter Cayetano on Thursday expressed his full support for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte's federalism approach to government.
In a statement, Cayetano said federalism could be the way to attain inclusive growth in the country by granting other regions more access to government resources and funds.
During his visit to Davao City last weekend, Cayetano stressed the need to effect real change in people's lives by resorting to bold solutions that will address the country's long-enduring problems.
"Ang isang malaking problema ng bansa ay halos lahat ng pera ay nasa Metro Manila. Other regions are not provided with enough attention. Si Mayor Duterte, ang solusyon niya ay Federalismo," Cayetano said.
"Lahat ng kandidato, ang sinasabi lang ay dadamihan ang mga project. During budget season, pwede naman namin ikalat ang pondo hindi lang sa Metro Manila, pero hindi ginagawa," he added.
Cayetano declared that this could be the reason why there is a strong clamor for Duterte to run for president and why his proposals are resonating with people, because only he offers real and concrete change.
"There are many ways to skin a cat, pero dapat may political will at tapang. That’s why ang clamor talaga ng tao ay hindi plataporma, but someone who will actually do it," he said.
Cayetano, for his part, has been pushing for the decentralization of government by funding more programs that will create real change in regions outside Metro Manila, particularly in Mindanao.
The senator recently filed Senate Bill No. 2972, or the Mindanao Peace and Development Act of 2015, which if enacted into law, would grant a guaranteed funding worth at least P800 billion in ten years, for the development of various sectors such as education, health, business, agriculture, transportation and infrastructure, including the establishment of a railway system in the region.
While lauding the current administration for its notable contributions in economic progress, Cayetano said a more long-term solution is needed to achieve inclusive growth and to address the growing congestion problem in the capital city.