“They can have their own department (DILG) at the local level. (But) actually, if you look at it now, they (DILG) no longer have powers,” he added in an interview with reporters after attending a hearing by the local government committee.

In his testimony before the committee, chaired by Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, Pimentel however said that the Philippine National Police will not be affected by the dissolution of the agency.

“There will still be a national police for the enforcement of law against the commission of crimes throughout the federal states,” Pimentel, father of Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, said.

Under the proposed set-up the federal state will have an increased share of funding from the present 40 percent being provided by the central government, it will be adjusted to 80%.

“In other words, the income derived by the federal state, they will only send 20% to the national. Hindi tulad ngayon na maghintay tayo at sila magbigay sa local government,” the former lawmaker and author of the Local Government Code of 1991 said, in reference to the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), which is automatically released to the local government units and ranges from 50% to 70% of their total budget.

For his part, Angara however expressed reservations on the possibility of the DILG being “dissolved” in the process of putting in place the federal form of government.

“We are still in the coordinative mechanism so, if ever, there will be some changes in the role (of DILG), less powers but there is still a need to coordinate with different local government constituents,” he said.

Angara said the DILG may stay behind as, under the proposed set-up, the police powers will not be devolved to the federal states, a matter which Pimentel also emphasized.

“I wish to bring that out openly, increasing the powers by local government might actually be a travesty on the intent of the Local Government Code precisely to reduce the power or control of the central government over the LGUs. But it does not mean to say that its power over the police should be, you might say, reduced. I’m not suggesting that. Perhaps a refinement of those powers could really be a next step in the agenda of your committee,” Pimentel was quoted in the said proceedings.

“Hindi ibibigay sa local governments yun (police powers). But of course, most of the national agencies would have to restructure their mandates, not only the DILG, (once federal system is in place),” said Angara.

* * *

source: http://interaksyon.com/article/131530/nene-pimentel-dilg-will-be-abolished-under-federalism