Monday, February 12, 2007 Seares: Burying Sugbuak By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
IS THE news about Sugbuak’s death exaggerated?
Rep. Eddie Gullas, vice chairman of the House committee on rules, says “underground moves” might be made to push the three bills seeking to split Cebu into four provinces.
While the old Congress has virtually finished its business, it still holds meetings before it closes to give way to the new Congress. (There are special sessions today and tomorrow.)
The bills can be sneaked in, says Rep. Raul del Mar, House deputy speaker, but top Congress leaders have to hatch the plot. Highly unlikely but possible.
Technically, it can be done though it’s tough to pull. Watching the gates are veteran hawks like Raul, Eddiegul, and, yes, Rep. Tony Cuenco (when not busy swatting pesky rival Atan Guardo).
Premature
Declaration of death is premature. A window is still open for the bills to fly. And there’s the door ajar: they can be re-filed in the next Congress, year after year. Rep. Sim Kintanar says the authors or their proxies will try again.
If the bills are dead, they resurrect as often as the rules allow and as long as there are House members who relish cutting up Cebu.
Besides, why kill a convenient and useful issue, election or no election? It’s the kind of issue that sets the Cebuano belly on fire and his heart a-raging.
No funeral for Dracula-like bills. Just drive stakes into the political lives of their authors.
