|
Monday, March 21, 2005
Split Cebu lawmakers to woo Vidal
By Charmaine Y. Rodriguez
CEBU CITY -- Proponents of the creation of three new provinces in Cebu will be holding their own road shows in the whole province starting next month to promote their proposals.
But before hitting the road, Representatives Antonio Yapha (3rd district), Simeon Kintanar (2nd district) and Clavel Martinez (4th district) will seek an audience with Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal.
Yapha admitted to Sun.Star Cebu Sunday that Vidal's stand has a great impact on the issue, which will be decided on by Cebuanos, not only in one, but possibly several plebiscites if the proposals will be junked in the first round.
The plebiscite is required should the bills get passed into law.
Yapha, who is on his last term and who refused to name his possible candidate for governor if his proposed Province of Occidental Cebu is ever created, said they do not expect Vidal to change his stand but at least, they could present theirs.
"We will show to him that what we are doing is good, and that we are not out to let him change his mind. We just want him to know our stand," Yapha said in a press conference that followed a meeting with third district mayors, vice mayors and councilors at the Casino Español Sunday.
"We want him to know that what we are doing is not foolishness because we have foreseen that our district will surely benefit (from the move)," he added.
Hear us
Former senator John "Sonny" Osmeña, who lashed out at Sun.Star Cebu for reporting that Vidal is no longer interested to listen to the proponents, urged the prelate to hear the proposals.
"I hope the cardinal would keep an open mind because it is incumbent upon him, as the highest-ranking church leader in Cebu, to listen to all sides. It will be unfortunate if he will shut the door on us," Osmeña said in a press conference.
The former senator, whose son John Gregory lost to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia in the 2004 elections, said he will join the road shows, which he said should be done in areas that will participate in the plebiscite.
"To hold a summit is to acquiesce to the idea that the decisions are made only in Cebu City. Wa ni sila'y labot. Adto ta mag-road show sa mga tawo nga duna'y kalabutan," Osmeña said, alluding to the summit organized by Garcia in a mall in Cebu City last March 14.
Survival
Yapha said that during the road shows, they will counter Garcia's claims by focusing on the capability of the new province to survive.
They will start planning the visits, which will also cover the first, fifth and sixth districts, to promote their proposals once Martinez returns from the US by the first week of April.
Kintanar, who suffered a mild stroke about three weeks ago, is still recovering.
With the prodding of Kintanar, who already submitted an explanation of his bill to Vidal, Yapha submitted to the prelate a copy of his proposal.
This contained a certification from the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) that the average annual regular income of the third district for 2003 and 2004 is above the minimum income requirement for a province, which is P20 million, as provided under Section 461 of the Local Government Code of 1991.
Figures
Using official figures from the Department of Finance, Yapha said the proposed Cebu Occidental will have an estimated annual income of not less than P245,787.468.50.
This will be taken from the P243.19 million Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and the P2.591 million share in local tax revenues.
If it spends P21.88 million on personnel services, P30 million on a Capitol building, P60 million on hospitals and P17.889 million for operating expenses, it will still have P116 million for development projects.
Yapha, who challenged Garcia to come up with a certification from BLGF to support her claims, also said in his proposal that the new province will not only bring government closer to people, but will also introduce much-needed reforms in government's structure to address the issue of skewed development.
The creation of three new provinces will also entitle the whole island of Cebu to an Internal Revenue Allotment share of about P1.178 billion, which is P275.9 million more than the P902 million, which the Capitol received in 2004.
Smaller budget
A certification dated March 2 and signed by BLGF Executive Director Ma. Presentacion Montesa stated that based on the 1991 constant prices, the yearly income of Yapha's proposed province will be P111,020, 083.89.
Montesa also certified that the creation of the new province will not reduce the income of the original province to less than the minimum annual income requirement.
The BLGF official said that after deducting the share of the income of the municipalities that would compose the proposed province, the income of the average annual regular income of the Province of Cebu for calendar years 2003 and 2004 would be P214,874,399.50.
These figures aim to refute Garcia's claim that the creation of new provinces will result in a deficit of over P454 million, which according to Monsignor Roberto Alesna is the scenario that Vidal referred to as the "evil that will come" in the prelate's message opposing the summit.
Bogo Mayor Celestino Martinez III, son of Clavel, told reporters that the projections are speculative since the new provinces will not have a staff, like the present Capitol and thus, will operate on a smaller budget.
(March 21, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
