Sunday, June 15, 2008 [ sunstar.com.ph]
By Allan I. Varquez
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
With Gerome M. Dalipe
REP. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz’s (Cebu, sixth) proposal to break the district into two was approved by the House of Representatives local government committee.
Before July ends, she said, House Bill (HB) 1306 will be presented in a form of a committee report in the plenary for discussion.
The bill, though, made Lapu-Lapu City a lone legislative district, excluding Cordova town.
“This now solves the many arguments about contiguity, population requirement, or where we should annex Cordova…This is the most legally viable, and I came up with this version after many consultations with fellow Cebuano congressmen,” Ruiz said in an interview.
Because the bill does not involve funds, its passage both in Congress and in the Senate is expected before the end of the year, she said.
The change pleased Lapu-Lapu officials, who described the move as a “breaking ground” for the city to become an economic power alongside Cebu City.
They cited as bases additional infrastructures and investments, and having a congressman with P80 million in Priority Development Assistance Fund under his disposal.
But for Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy, the initiative, which went through several modifications because of loopholes, is “politically immoral and a proof of incompetence.”
He said that if population serves as basis in making Lapu-Lapu a lone district, Ruiz should have picked Mandaue, which now has a population of 318,575.
Equal division
“Mangita lang unya mi og competent nga congressman nga kamao mo pahat-pahat (We will just look for a congressman who knows how to divide equally),” he said.
He said that Ruiz’s proposal is an insult to Mandauehanons because long before Lapu-Lapu became highly urbanized in a plebiscite July last year, Mandaue City already has a population of more than 250,000, which is enough for it to be made as the lone district.
Approval of the local government committee headed by Rep. George Arnaiz (Oriental Negros) took more than two months because of legal questions.
Ruiz first lumped Lapu-Lapu and Cordova as a legislative district, with a provision that only Cordova residents can vote for and be voted upon in the Cebu provincial elections.
But the committee found that it contradicted the Local Government Code, which mandates that a congressional district should have two Provincial Board representatives.
Changes
Ruiz then modified her bill by pairing Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu to comprise the new district, with Cordova, Consolacion and Liloan of the fifth district under the sixth district.
But the territorial contiguity requirement and opposition of Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano VI (Cebu, fifth) against the taking out of Liloan town from his district became hindrances.
Article 6 of the 1987 Constitution mandates that each legislative district “shall comprise, as far as practicable, contiguous, compact and adjacent territory.”
Mayor Tomas Osmeña has also proposed to create a new Cebu City district by grouping Cordova with the south district coastal barangays.
Lapu-Lapu City Vice Mayor Mario Amores said the approval came as a surprise because all they did was pass a City Council resolution asking President Gloria Arroyo to certify as priority the bill making Lapu-Lapu a lone district.
“We do expected it, but not this fast,” he said.
City Attorney Vincent Joseph Lim, for his part, said that as a lone district, Lapu-Lapu should have a strong representation in the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) board.
Ruiz agreed, but said it should not be to the extent of stripping the Cebu governor of some of her powers.
No politics
“I am not thinking of politics this time, that is why I am for a change in the MCIAA board. But it should be considered that the airport caters (to) not only Lapu-Lapu City but the (whole) province as well,” she said.
She said Sen. Benigno Aquino III, who chairs the Senate local government committee, assured to support her bill and its immediate passage.
In a separate interview, Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, third) said that he, too, is supporting HB 1306.
He said the bill is the “only solution” to several arguments raised on how to reapportion Cebu’s 6th district.
“The 6th district is the most populous district and urgently needs another representative in the Congress,” he told Sun.Star Cebu.
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