MANILA - There may be a new Philippine capital under the proposed federal government, a member of President Rodrigo Duterte's charter review body said Tuesday.
Lawyer Roan Libarios, a member of the consultative committee on charter change, said there is no mandate under the proposed charter that Manila or Metro Manila should be the country's capital.
"We have not decided on a federal capital. We are open to proposals. Just like in other countries, puwedeng iba ang capital, puwedeng iba 'yung admin and commercial center," he told ANC.
Libarios said Clark may be a good administrative center, considering the advocacy of transferring some government offices to the Pampanga area.
"That will ease the traffic in Metro Manila for sure. Or maybe we can have a capital in Cebu," he said, stressing that the goal of federalism is redistribution of powers to the regions.
Meanwhile, Libarios said Metro Manila will have a regional government to coordinate all its towns and cities. This, he said, is seen to create greater efficiency in traffic management.
Cha-cha, Manila, Capital, Duterte, Consultative Committee, ANC, ANC Top, Early Edition, ANC Exclusive