Economic woes, territorial sovereignty, federalism among key 2019 election issues

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<figure class="op-interactive"><div id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1_Container"> <ivs-player id="IVS_ABS_Body_Video_1" data-ivs-spid="3001339" data-ivs-key="e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603" data-ivs-vid="1394979" data-ivs-floating="1"></ivs-player> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/iframe-parent.js"></script> <script src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/js/loader.js"></script> </div></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>MANILA - The country&#x27;s economic woes, territorial sovereignty and the push for federalism are among the top issues in this year&#x27;s midterm elections, an analyst said.</p><p>Ronald Mendoza, dean of the Ateneo School of Government, said economic issues have consistently ranked in surveys as among the top concerns of Filipinos.</p><p>The Duterte administration&#x27;s West Philippine Sea policy and federalism shift may likewise be high in the Filipinos&#x27; agenda as they vote for their candidates in May.</p><p>&quot;Another issue that I think is going to emerge perhaps for the first time in our history is the sovereignty issue. The visit of President Xi Jinping is on the one hand a signal of better economic relationship with China and something that we should certainly be pragmatic about,&quot; Mendoza told ANC&#x27;s Beyond Politics.</p><p>&quot;We can benefit from their growth. But I think survey upon survey Filipinos are expressing their preference for our government to exert sovereignty over those areas.&quot;</p><p>Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Manila last November for a two-day state visit aimed at further improving the two nations’ ties that had been strained by the bitter maritime dispute.</p><p>Most Filipinos or 84 percent are opposed to the government&#x27;s supposed inaction on China&#x27;s military encroachment in the West Philippine Sea, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released in the same month.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/20/18/most-filipinos-oppose-govt-inaction-vs-china-on-west-ph-sea-sws">Most Filipinos oppose gov&#x27;t inaction vs China on West PH Sea: SWS</a></li></ul><p>Mendoza, meanwhile, said some politicians will campaign with the federalism shift in mind.</p><p>&quot;I do hope that there’s more evidence brought to bear on this discussion, that this is just not going to be a brand with very little of underpinning what is contained in federalism,&quot; he said.</p><p>&quot;I have high hopes that this would be a learning moment for the country as well. We get to learn more about our Constitution, something that we probably should’ve been doing before. I do think it’s one of this double-edge swords where it could be useful for us, on the other hand if we don’t understand it and jump right in, it could be quite noisy, quite detrimental also.&quot;</p>

<p>The country's economic woes, territorial sovereignty and the push for federalism are among the top issues in this year's midterm elections, an analyst said.</p>

The country's economic woes, territorial sovereignty and the push for federalism are among the top issues in this year's midterm elections, an analyst said.