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Friday, August 12, 2005
2 Cebu officials’ quarrel in House saddens cardinal
The verbal tussle between Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and Rep. Clavel Martinez during a public hearing in Congress did not sit well with Cebu Archbishop Cardinal Vidal.
“There’s so much scandal today, and coming from our leaders? Oh, my God. I would expect a leader to should somehow behave well before the public. There are arguments that they can discuss privately, if possible,” Vidal said in an ABS-CBN TV Patrol Cebu interview.
The public hearing last Wednesday in the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City was cut short because of the heated exchange of words between the governor and Martinez, who wants to turn the fourth district into Cebu del Norte.
Oriental Negros Rep. Emilio Macias, who heads the House committee on local government, instead created a technical working group tasked to study the bills of Martinez and her colleagues, Simeon Kinta-nar (2nd district) and Antonio Yapha Jr. (3rd district).
But the Cebu Provincial Government, together with four congressmen, will insist that a public hearing on the proposal to cut up the province be held in Cebu.
“We will strategize with the congressmen who are sympathetic to us,” said Capitol consultant Pablo John Garcia.
He said Reps. Eduardo Gullas, Antonio Cuenco, Raul del Mar and Ramon “Red” Durano VI agreed to meet next week or whenever their schedules will allow, to map out a plan.
Pablo John, the governor’s brother, also said Durano will be part of the technical working group.
Gwendolyn is still in Manila for a League of Governors meeting. She is expected to be back in Cebu on Sunday.
Paperwork
Since Akbayan party-list Rep. Etta Rosales asked the governor to submit a position paper on the three bills, Pablo John said they gave her an 11-page document after the public hearing.
“We will expand that document to make it more comprehensive. It only summarized our objections to the proposals, including the legal defects of the bills and the effects of splitting Cebu,” he said.
Capitol and the Cebuano congressmen have their work cut out for them in trying to convince the House committee to hold a public hearing in Cebu.
Macias said his committee only needs facts and figures from the Department of Finance, Land Management Bureau and Population Commission to verify the documents the bills’ proponents submitted.
Macias said the sentiments of the Cebuanos will be heard during the plebiscites.
Requirements
In an interview, he said the bills have complied will all the legal requirements, but he just did not argue with Governor Garcia when she said that the remaining province will not meet the land area requirement prescribed by law.
He believes the minimum legal requirements for creating of a new province are the same as the requirements for the remaining province.
The Local Government Code of 1991 states that in creating a province, it must meet the income requirement of P20 million and either the land area requirement of 2,000 square kilometers or population requirement of 250,000.
It also provides that the remaining province should be able to meet the three requirements.
Macias has been criticized for his refusal to hold hearings in Cebu.
Provincial Board Member Victor Maambong also questioned why his committee only sent invitation to members who are in favor of the bills: Board Members Joven Mondigo, Estrella Yapha and Jose Ma. Gastardo.
Maambong attended the hearing but he admitted he had no official invitation. (MBG/CPG)
(August 12, 2005 issue)
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