MANILA – Former Senate president Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. on Wednesday said that under the federal system of government, the powers of the Executive Department over local government units (LGUs), particularly by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), will be abolished.

“Yes it will be dissolved (eventually),” said Pimentel, a prime mover of federalism in the country even long before the idea was broached by President Rodrigo Duterte.

With leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives coming from Mindanao, Malacañang is optimistic that President Duterte’s legislative agenda would be passed without much objection in both chambers.

Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar yesterday said Malacañang is hopeful that there will be a “pro-active cooperation” between the executive and legislative branches following the assumption to office of two of the President’s allies – Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

MANILA, Philippines – In his proposal for a federal Republic of the Philippines, former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel Jr is eyeing the creation of 11 federal states, while keeping a presidential form of government and increasing the number of elected senators.

A shift to a federal system of government will help empower local government units and give them access to a bigger budget, former senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. told Radyo Inquirer 990AM on Monday.

The founder of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) said federalism would give more power to local units.

A high level delegation of PDP Laban leaders were sent by their President, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to Davao City to meet with the Centrist Democratic Party (CDP) and the Centrist Democracy Political Institute (CDPI) Chairman Lito Lorenzana to explore the resumption of the coalition talks which was discontinued in the later part of 2015. To recall, the then Chairman of the PDP-Laban, and former South Cotabato Governor Mike Sueno, who lead the coalition talks gave way to the party chairmanship to now President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.

The delegation was headed by Vice-Chairman Alfonso Cusi, Treasurer Atty Clint Aranas, Deputy Secretary General for Mindanao Benito Ranque, Vice President for NCR Engr. Salvador Ty and Abbin Dalhani, President for NCR.