Youth leader’s appeal: Simpler, easier to understand language

PROPOSED FEDERAL SYSTEM

“MAKE it simple and conversational.”

This was the appeal of a youth leader in Cebu to members of the Consultative Committee (Con-Com) on making the draft of the proposed federal system.

Deodatus Paulo Burgos, the University of San Carlos (USC) Supreme Student Council president, said young people might not understand the many provisions of the proposed federal type of government due to the language used.

“For me, it is important for the proponents of the federalism to actually conceptualize and make it conversational especially to the youth when we talk about federalism,” said Burgos, a political science student of the university.

Burgos also proposed to have the discussion on federalism be incorporated to the school’s curriculum for the younger generation to grasp the serious issue on the planned charter change.

“When there is lack of information, you cannot see or you cannot expect an empowered nation, an empowered citizen,” he said.

Burgos also emphasized the importance of participation of the grassroots level in the awareness campaign about the proposed charter change.

“You need to have support coming from the different sectors of the nation because at the end of the day, the policy will not affect not just you but the entire nation,” he said.

Meanwhile, former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. reiterated his stance against changing the Constitution.

Davide, who was in Cebu to speak in the forum on Saturday, believed that federal system of government would weaken the democracy of the country and extinguish the historic quality of the Filipinos.

“These propagandist have not convincingly shown that federalism is suited for our country and fitted to the Filipino people,” said Davide.

Davide was among the constitutional commissioners who drafted the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which he described as the best that fits the country.