ANGELES CITY—Food, jobs, freedom and justice are issues that should be at the top of discussions on federalism, human rights lawyer and law dean Jose Manuel Diokno told a forum here on Wednesday.

Diokno said the economy and high inflation were drawing attention away from federalism, with consumers growing angry about the rising prices of basic commodities.

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“Food and jobs are economic matters, but we also need a strong justice system to realize them … and these are where the big shortcomings of our government lie,” he said after speaking in a forum organized by the People’s Campaign Against Tyranny at the Holy Angel University here.

Justice from gun barrel

People also want to see genuine justice, said Diokno, chair of the Free Legal Assistance Group.

“Is justice from the barrels of guns really going to provide long-term solutions? If we want accountability … there is no choice,” he said.

President Duterte, he said, speaks like there is no more rule of law.

‘Kill all criminals’

“It’s like he is saying we should kill all the criminals. It’s not the right solution to our problems,” Diokno said.

“Instead of [obtaining] justice from our courts, we are seeing justice coming from the barrels of guns. And I am very concerned with that because it is a drastic change from the way we are supposed to run our government,” he added.

Asked if the federalism campaign could gather steam after the 2019 elections, Diokno said it would depend on the outcome of the polls.

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If an independent Senate would arise, “it would be difficult for federalism,” he said.—TONETTE OREJAS

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