Tuesday, May 08, 2007 Chiz, Pimentel sign pledge to oppose any Sugbuak plan
THE issue on creating more Cebu provinces has crossed party lines at the national level. At least two members of the Genuine Opposition slate for the Senate have signed a covenant to block any further moves to divide Cebu.
It was the group of former senator John “Sonny” Osmena, who is also a member of the Genuine Opposition, that moved to create Cebu del Sur, Cebu del Norte and Cebu Occidental.
But Osmena’s colleagues in the opposition, Aquilino Pimintel III and Francis Escudero, signed the covenant that One Cebu party has prepared.
The covenant states: “I will commit to vigorously oppose, block and resist any and all attempts to divide the Province of Cebu or any proposal which would alter in any way its existing political boundaries in violation of the law.”
But unlike the administration Team Unity members who signed the covenant, the document that the two opposition senatorial candidates signed did not bear the phrase: “I commit to support key administration proposals to advance the President’s economic agenda of consistent growth.”
Other signers
Aside from Escudero and Pimentel, those who signed were Cesar Monta-no, Vic Magsaysay, Tito Sotto, Miguel Zubiri and Eduardo Angara.
There other candidates who said they will sign the covenant but have yet to submit.
The One Cebu party has drawn up the covenant as a condition to get the support of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia’s political party, which reportedly has as members 80 of province’s incumbent officials. Garcia announced her party will not be endorsing straight all members of Team Unity, as they will choose from all those who will sign the covenant.
Allies of Osmeña filed the bills—Rep. Antonio Yapha for Occidental, Rep. Simeon Kintanar for del Sur and Rep. Clavel Martinez for del Norte.
The authors said their move would bring the government closer to the people in the towns, as creating new provinces would mean people would no longer have to go to Cebu City to transact business with the Provincial Government.
Also, they said that with more provinces, Cebu will be getting more money from the National Government in terms of Internal Revenue Allotment share.
The One Cebu party, however, said the move is an attack against Cebu’s history and integrity, and will create smaller and poorer provinces. What the new provinces will get for IRA will not be enough to support a new Capitol with a new set of officials and departments, among others. (JPM)
