By Hannah Torregoza Detained Senator Leila de Lima rejected anew Duterte administration’s bid for a federal form of government, which she said will lead to further division and disintegration of the nation. Detained Senator Leila de Lima (REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco / MANILA BULLETIN) At a recent forum at the Ateneo de Naga University, De Lima, through her chief political officer Aquinas Hermida, highlighted the need for aspiring lawyers to look into the possible implications to the public of the administration’s push for a federal form of government. “As learned students of the law, your minds have now been trained to question the ratio behind governmental decisions of transcendental importance that would affect the entire nation and generations yet to come,” de Lima said in her speech delivered by Hermida. “What is the ratio behind the efforts to overhaul the constitution? What evils will it create? What kind of future awaits the Filipino people at the end of this shift?” The detained senator said that while she avoids engaging in public discourses on Charter change and / or federalism, she said she cannot help offer her thoughts “in a few exceptional cases as to this one,” lest her silence be taken as a form of surrender. “Allow me to declare here and now that my position on the matter is absolute: no to Federalism especially under this current set of leaders. No, especially because the dangers are overflowing, glaring and compelling,” said de Lima, a vocal critic of President Duterte.