Saturday, February 10, 2007 Sugbuak fight: ‘it isn’t over yet’ By Jeanette P. Malinao Sun.Star Staff Reporter
CONGRESS wrapped up its last session Thursday without moving forward on the bills to create Cebu del Sur, Cebu del Norte and Cebu Occidental, two years after three lawmakers first raised their plan.
Rep. Ramon “Red” Durano VI said it was “clearly a big victory” for anti-split Cebu advocates who have been vigilant against these bills’ passage.
“They tried to have these taken up but gibantayan ni namo ug mayo (we kept track of the bills). Let us just be very vigilant that this thing will not happen again in the 14th Congress,” Durano said in a press conference in Danao City yesterday.
The 13th Congress will resume session after the May elections, but only from June 4-8. It will then adjourn from June 9 to July 22, when the new set of representatives and 12 senators assume office.
The bills were filed in February 2005 by last-term Reps. Simeon Kintanar, Clavel Martinez and Antonio Yapha, who believe that creating their districts into new provinces will bring government “closer to the people.”
They also stated it would bring in more money for development, as their districts would have a share in the Internal Revenue Allotment.
The authors, in each of their proposals, included a provision where the existing Cebu Provincial Government would have to share half of its properties and assets with the newly created provinces.
They also proposed to let the existing Capitol spend for the plebiscite.
Instead, the bills triggered a province-wide campaign for Cebu to remain one province.
All leagues of local government officials passed resolutions against it, as did more than 30 municipal councils. The opposition to the plan also snowballed as several chambers of commerce, the academe and the Cebu Archdiocese joined in the campaign.
Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said it would be an affront to Cebu’s history and integrity, and diminish Cebu’s status as a premier province.
But the authors found an ally in Rep. Emilio Macias, chairman of the House committee on local government, who refused to conduct a public hearing in Cebu despite repeated requests.
Macias also approved the bills at the committee level.
But several Cebu congressmen made sure that it would stay at the House committee on rules and never be discussed in the plenary. There was a report on a failed attempt to “sneak” these into the plenary discussion.
Durano yesterday said the bills remained with the rules committee and now, the archives.
Though the proposals are considered “dead” unless these are filed again in the next term, Kintanar is not giving up.
Kintanar believes the concept they introduced will continue, as well as their advocacy.
“Kadtong mga nituo sa among (Those who believe in our) concept will continue what we started,” he said in a telephone interview.
When asked if he is still hopeful these will be re-filed, he replied, “Dili lang kay hopeful. Maningkamot pa gyud nga naay musunod,” he said. (We’re not only hopeful; we will also make sure that these are re-filed.) (JPM)
