Tomas, Cutie ‘open to support’ bill on Mandaue as lone district

IF Rep. Luigi Qui-sumbing (Cebu, 6th district) files the bill to turn Mandaue City into a lone district, Cebu City representatives would support the move.

Reps. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south) and Rachel del Mar (Cebu City, north) both said they are agreeable to the proposal.

Del Mar, though, said she will support the stand of Quisumbing, who initially said he is for making Mandaue City a lone district but that the move is not viable as of the moment.

“Okay with me,” Osmeña said in a text message.

If Mandaue City becomes a lone district, its district congressman will get P70 million in Priority Development Assistance Fund (Pdaf).

Osmeña, however, said Mandaue City would stand to earn more money if it retrieves the four-hectare lot where the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) stands.

“The barangay officials are looking at the wrong direction,” said Osmeña, after 37 barangay captains from the City signed a manifesto supporting the move to turn Mandaue into a lone district.

Osmeña explained that retrieving the CICC lot would mean the City gets P500 million, the estimated value of the property, for Mandaue City.

The City, said Osmeña, is poised to gain more if the property becomes a commercial district as this will open employment for hundreds of Mandauehanons.

“(Mandauehanons) should instead demand that Gov. Gwen (Garcia) dismantle her CICC building and transfer it to Dumanjug,” said Osmeña, referring to the governor's hometown.