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Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Roperos: Pity the Cebuanos
By Godofredo M. Roperos
Politics Also
VICTIMS of political unfairness and tyranny of the politically powerful, most inhabitants of Cebu appear to have fallen on the wayside. Their island province being subject of dismemberment as proposed in three separate bills by three of their representatives in Congress, the alarmed Cebuanos are not being given the opportunity to study the proposals. Which is blatantly unfair to the people that elected the three to office.
It is rather strange and disturbing, to say the least, that the committee supposed to handle the three proposals did not see fit to hear the sentiments of the people who would be most affected. If this is a democratic country, and the congressional hearings of proposed bills is part of the democratic process, why then should the committee on local government refuse to give the people the chance to examine proposed bills? The bills provide for the dismemberment of their island province, pushing their lives to an uncertain future.
There is really tacit unfairness in the quick and quite unreasonable decision to isolate the populace from the consideration regarding the viability and acceptability of the creation of three more provinces out of this small island.
“Nahadlok siguro sila nga ug mahibaw-an ang pagbati sa mga tawo,” according to a sikad-sikad driver in my hometown, “mabaliwa ilang hinakog nga katuyoan. Bitaw, wa gyud ko kauyon sa ilang gibuhat, sir, tiaw moy wa na man nuon kaseguroan atong ugma ini.”
In essence, the remark from an average daily working Cebuano seems to be typical of the sentiment in many towns of the province. If this is so, and I suspect it is really the case, it would look as if the proponents of the creation of three new provinces are ramming their whims down the throats of unwary people.
Campaigning for the bills’ approval by the people would be more costly.
Money has been spent even in filing the respective bills, and preparing them for the committee study and hearing, and finally in reporting them out for plenary discussion. I think, if my memory serves me right, it was earlier said in a study that each bill filed would cost an average of about P150,000 just for the preparation and paper work. This is why House members are discouraged to file bills at will just to show they are working.
Talk of expenses, it is clear that the three proponents of the “divide Cebu” bills are unduly spending government money at a time when the nation is suffering from acute financial problems. And then, they are trying to prevent the people from knowing more about their follies by not holding any hearing here over the bills because it would too costly to do so. If it is not unjust and unfair, I do not know what is. The point is they are trying to make a shortcut in the democratic process.
The scheduled technical committee meeting in Manila today or was it yesterday, appears to be rigged in favor of the passage of the bills in the local government committee.
But it is not yet too late for the local government committee chair to reverse his earlier decision. The average Cebuano only asks, as a matter of right, to be listened to and heard. It would greatly help to clear the air of suspicion and sense of unfairness being entertained by the people regarding the motives of the committee chair. Besides, he has really nothing to fear if his conscience is truly clean.
(August 23, 2005 issue)
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