... to tackle federalism

By Juan Escandor Jr. NAGA CITY---Federalism will be the main topic to be discussed in the national executive committee meeting of the Vice Mayors’ League of the Philippines (VMLP), an official said Wednesday. Calabanga Vice Mayor Ramoncito R. Robles, Bicol president of VMLP, said lecturers from the University of the Philippines will explain to the vice mayors “federalism 101”. Robles said the lecture will include the pros and cons of the federalism as a form of government including the knowledge of parliamentary procedures required of their job as the presiding officer of the local councils. He said the University of the Philippines has entered into contract with the VMLP to give vice mayors crash course on their work as the presiding officer of the local legislative bodies. Robles said some 700 vice mayors are expected to attend the meeting including high-profile names like presidential son Paolo Duterte, vice mayor of Davao City, Sumisip Vice Mayor Jul Adnan Hataman, son of Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, and San Juan City Vice Mayor Janella Ejercito Estrada, daughter of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada. He said the attending vice mayors will be treated with city tour in the first day and a governor’s night hosted by Camarines Sur Gov. Miguel Luis Villafuerte. Robles said the affair of the VMLP has benefited seven hotels here where delegates were billeted.