Partners push for federal, jury system

By Nora Soriño,
Iligan City Bureau Chief,
and Arman Apolinario,
Correspondent

Iligan City — Various groups are pushing for a federal form of government and a jury system for the country’s courts.

The Metro Manila Du-terte Movement (MMDM), the World Wide Philippine Jury Initiative Philippines, Inc., the Iligan Lanao Tribal Cultural Economic Home Technology Association, Inc. (ILTCEHTAI), and the Citizen’s Crime Watch (CCW) recently held a forum on federalism and jurism.

Speaker Hilda F. Gaurino of Human Resource Management Division of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) talked on MMDM for federalism while Daisy Arcilla Brett-Holt, Chair of World Wide Philippines Jury Initiative tackled the topic: “MMDM for Federalism-Jurism.

Another speaker, Cristopher O. Gathalian, also of Human Resource Management Division, DILG talked on “Federalism for Change.”

The forum pointed out that per provisions of RA 6735, People’s Initiative, Referendum Act, people have the power to “directly propose, enact, approve, approve or reject in whole or in part, the Constitution, laws, ordinances or resolutions passed by any legislative body upon compliance with the requirements of this Act is hereby affirmed, recognized and guaranteed.”

Requirements that we have to comply with are as follows: first, is to collect 5.6 million registered voters’ signatures on a petition to enact the National Jury Law (NJL) and second, is to submit the collected signatures to the Commission on Elections for signature authentication and verification.

Others who also supported the forum were Mario Maceda, Miguel Garcia, Danny Halibas, and Bobby Sultan.