Opposition to Con-Ass and Federalism must relentlessly continue. This resistance must carry over to the incoming 18th Congress.

A strong argument, if not the strongest, against constituting the House of Representatives and the Senate into a constituent assembly is that the supermajority solons will convert the constituent assembly into a virtual rubberstamp of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The subservience to the administration which is now happening in the House will certainly happen in the projected Constituent Assembly composed of the supermajority blindly allied with the President.

It must be underscored that the undue haste in shifting from the unitary to the federal system of government will further deteriorate the economy. Alacrity could spell disaster.

NEDA Director-General Ernesto Pernia has publicly shared his assessment on the country’s lack of preparedness for a shift to federalism because: (1) majority of our regions are fiscally ill-prepared, (2) implementing it before we are ready will be detrimental to economic growth; and (3) it may shred the country’s balance sheet and could have negative implications for public finances.

The latest surveys from the country’s top pollsters reveal that: (a) only 25% of Filipinos are aware of the proposed adoption of the federal system (SWS) and a whopping 70% of Filipinos have no knowledge or awareness of the federal form (Pulse Asia).

Lack of popular support for Con-Ass and the shift to federalism is indelible in the people’s apathy for and unawareness of these faltering initiatives.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN