MANILA – A commentary of Fitch Solutions Macro Research said the midterm elections in the Philippines next year could boost policy-making in the country and may even be positive for the administration’s push towards federalism.
According to the commentary, Senate seats are seen to be filled up by allies of President Rodrigo Duterte during the May 2019 poll as the opposition “has been weakened considerably”.
It noted that this consolidation of power will have a positive effect on the policy-making process in the country. “It is looking increasingly likely that lawmakers aligned with the ruling PDP-Laban party will dominate the Senate after the vote,” the article read.
“President Rodrigo Duterte's consolidation of power would likely be positive for policy making and would also bode well for his attempt at changing the constitution, both to introduce federalism and shift the presidential system to a presidential-parliamentary model,” it said.
Currently, the six out of the 24 seats in the Senate belong to the opposition, the Liberal Party, according to Fitch Solutions Macro Research.
But its commentary said that there is a “growing chance for Duterte-aligned policymakers” to dominate the midterm poll. “If President Duterte manages to consolidate his power during the midterm elections, this will likely facilitate the implementation of changes to the 1987 constitution,” it said.
During the campaign period for the 2016 presidential election, one of the promises of Duterte is to shift to a federal form of the government to empower local authorities and bring development outside the National Capital Region.
However, the commentary also cautions that complete domination by the incumbent administration may pose downside risks to the system of checks and balances. “The dominance of the executive branch poses a threat to the principles of separation of power and independence of each government body,” it added. (PNA)
