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Monday, September 05, 2005
Hearing drive not over yet
HOPE remains that the House committee on local government will hold a public hearing in Cebu on the plan to create three more provinces, a congressman said.
Rep. Mario Aguja (party-list, Akbayan) expressed optimism that despite earlier pronouncements of committee chairman Rep. Emilio Macias II that a hearing here is no longer necessary, the committee, comprising 70 to 75 legislators, could overturn the chairman’s decision.
“That (hearing in Cebu) is something we can work out. The Cebuanos cannot agree among themselves. All the more reason that the committee members should involve themselves,” Aguja said.
He further said that as members of the committee on local government, they must study closely the bills, and “it is our responsibility to hear what the public says.”
Logistics
Macias earlier said no hearing will be done in Cebu because trouble might erupt, just like the first hearing in Manila last Aug. 10 where one of the proponents, Rep. Clavel Martinez (Cebu, 4th district), traded heated words with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
Aguja brushed aside Macias’ argument that it is expensive to hold a hearing in Cebu.
“When you do an out-of-town committee hearing, you don’t bring all there. Besides, we still have logistics in the House,” he said.
Martinez is proposing to make the fourth district into Cebu del Norte. Rep. Simeon Kintanar wants to create Cebu del Sur out of the second district, while Rep. Antonio Yapha Jr. seeks to turn the third district into an Occidental Cebu.
The Cebu Archdiocese has initiated a survey of parishioners to find out if they back the plan. Initial results Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal released show most of the parishes oppose the bills.
However, the archdiocese won’t push through with the publication of a pastoral letter on its stand against the moves.
Cardinal Vidal said the primer they have distributed to the 138 parishes in Cebu is enough to inform the Cebuanos about the issue.
Church’s say
“I think Cebuanos are now able to understand, especially with the release of the primer, the negative effects of Sugbuak and, of course, the initial statements of the church on our stand against the division. It is enough already that the Church has done its part,” Vidal said in an interview yesterday.
The primer has been translated into Cebuano.
Vidal has ordered parishes to make a survey to know if parishioners favor the split-Cebu moves or not.
Close to 74 percent of the 138 parishes have already submitted their surveys. Of the number, only two parishes favor the split-Cebu plan. Other parishes have yet to submit their results.
Martinez, though, has said the Catholic Church should stay away from the issue.
Aguja, committee member, said it is logical to hold public hearings at least once in each of the areas that is proposed to be divided.
He cited the case of the municipality of Talisay, when it was still seeking to become a city. Aguja said members of the committee visited the place for a public hearing.
This should be done, especially that the proponents of the bills have not presented an integrated study on what could happen to the new provinces and the old province, he added.
Aguja said what were given were limited information on what the situation would be if just one area will separate from the old province of Cebu.
“I think, as a member of the committee, we have to bring it where it is. Okay lang og way reklamo. It is for the Cebuanos to decide. Why bring it just to the congressmen?” he said. RHM/LLV
(September 5, 2005 issue)
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