Partido Federal’s ultimate goal: Federalism by 2034

MANILA, Philippines — The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) is targeting the push for a federalist government by 2034 “for better living for the next generations to come.”

In an interview on OneNewsPH’s “Storycon,” PFP president Reynaldo Tamayo reiterated the party’s commitment to advancing federalism in the country.

Tamayo affirmed that the PFP was established with the primary goal of promoting federalism, and they have set a timeline to achieve this objective by 2034.

“That was already set when the party was formed in 2018, we set 2034 as the deadline to have a federal form of government in the Philippines,” Tamayo said in Filipino.

Tamayo, who is also the governor of South Cotabato, expressed support for potential political Charter changes in the future, emphasizing that the transition to a federal form of government would require careful planning and broad public consultation.

He underscored that decentralizing the government through federalism is crucial for improving the lives of Filipino citizens.

“The PFP believes that this is the key to really change the lives of every Filipino citizen because we can decentralize the government that we have now which is still highly centralized,” he said.

When asked about their preferred model for federalism, Tamayo mentioned that the PFP is part of the United Movement for Federalism, which evaluates various models annually.

He emphasized that the priority is decentralization, and the specific model “will be determined based on consultations and circumstances at the time of implementation.”

“So far we have gathered the best model every year, and every year it is changed to what is the appropriate model that we have,” Tamayo said.

He added that should a federalist government be pushed by their party, the voting for president would still rely on the citizens.

“What we are also looking to right now is that when it comes to the president, the entire country must also vote for the president. One of our principles is direct democracy, people should directly choose the leader of the entire Philippines,” he said.

Regarding the PFP’s political influence, Tamayo claimed that the party holds significant sway, with 43 percent of local chief executives affiliated with the PFP.

He also highlighted the importance of alliances and cooperation with other political groups, especially in the context of the upcoming 2025 elections.

Tamayo clarified that joining the PFP requires resigning from any previous political party affiliation, but he noted discussions among different party leaders about potential alliances for common causes in the upcoming elections.