President Duterte has expressed his preference for the American federal state model he wants adopted for the Philippines through a charter change (cha-cha).

But apparently, despite his preference for the US federal system under a presidential form of government, Duterte also seems to prefer a parliamentary system under a federal government.

Of course, this is what the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) – that claims to represent the entire moro population – wants in its version of its planned Bangsamoro state.

This is also the same parliamentary system another group of Muslim leaders have fashioned for the Moro state.

The probable reason for their preference of a parliamentary mode for its “state” is one which deals with hardly no people participation in Moro elections since in a parliamentary system, it is the elected parliamentarians who would elect a prime minister, instead of the Moro electorate voting directly for its chieftain.

Muslims in the Philippines are fairly tribal in their ways which can cause division among the electorate. Maranaos, for instance, are believed to be born leaders and descended from ancient royals, while Tausugs are known to be fighters and traders. Other Muslim tribes in the Philippines have their own tribal groups, which is why it is difficult to form a united Moro nation.

The Muslims may be willing to have the MILF fight for a Bangsamoro “state” under a federal system, but it is doubted that Moros are that united as a people to have the MILF represent the entire Moro people.

It will be recalled that the first Moro tribe that fought for independence was the Moro National Liberation Front, then led by professor-turned-warrior Nur Misuari. The MILF members of today were once members of the MNLF, but cut off from the Misuari group after Misuari accepted autonomy under the peace accord breached by the Ramos presidency all the way to the Noynoy Aquino regime.

The Estrada government waged an all-out war against the MILF and succeeded in capturing the military bases in Mindanao then controlled by the MILF. Its leader, Hashim Salamat, had fled to Malaysia.

However, the US state department and its CIA and the Philippine elite, big businessmen and the then opposition politicians salivating for a return to power, including the bishops and the Reds, used that war as an opportunity to oust then President Joseph Estrada.

As they were successful in Estrada’s ouster, the Arroyo regime then dealt with the MILF in peace talks and even a peace pact, which was challenged before the Supreme Court that junked the peace accord as unconstitutional.

The MILF then went back to war mode and eventually under a yellow president, the MILF was getting more monetarily as well as being promised by the Aquino government control over land, sea and air in the autonomous area in Mindanao.

Then some MILF members cut off from the group and formed the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) that junked autonomy while calling for independence and secession.

But with the government dealing with the MILF faction, there will likely still be battles between the MILF faction in power and position, and peace will hardly reign in the autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao, or a Bangsamoro state, if the legislative measure passes muster in the Supreme Court.

The President was quoted as saying: “I’ve been telling the military and all that the best federal system would be, you have a President, the only elected leader nationwide.”

He made clear, however, that it is not he who will be the elected leader nationwide under the federal system.

He also said that “the time for federalism has come to our country. We have to move away from the style of unitary form of government, which has been in existence or set up originally by the Spaniards. It has always been a strong central government.”

The President is aware that the MILF and other Moro leaders reject the current presidential system with a bicameral Congress, as well as a central government.

What a parliamentary Bangsamoro government led by the MILF chieftain wants is such a system that, however, does not jibe with a presidential system. The chances of the Supreme Court ruling on this issue as constitutional are near zero.

Besides, any legislative measure from Congress creating a Bangsamoro parliamentary state as desired by the MILF may not even pass the constitutionality test, given that a constitutional amendment is needed to make the desired changes in the Constitution.