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Saturday, April 09, 2005
Guvs on split-Cebu plan: Affront to history
By Jeanette P. Malinao
TAGBILARAN CITY -- Dividing Cebu has caught the attention of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, which opposed Friday "in the strongest possible terms" what it believes is an affront to history and a threat to their lifeblood: their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share.
After initial doubts on what business other provinces have in Cebu Province's most contentious issue, the country's governors were convinced to call for a moratorium on the creation of new local government units.
The league also created a legal panel that will defend their position in any forum. Members authorized their president, Bohol Governor Erico Aumentado, to pick the panel's head.
Aumentado named former Cebu governor Pablo Garcia a consultant of the league.
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia presented before Friday's 5th governors' league assembly House Bills 3632, 3657 and 3733, which seek to create Cebu del Sur, Cebu del Norte and Occidental Cebu.
Not local
The arguments were the same one presented in a summit against the division of Cebu last month: its legal snags, impact on the remaining Cebu, projected deficit of the proposed new provinces and the impact on other provinces.
Aside from a reduced share in the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), other provinces will be affected because the National Government will then have to spend funds for the creation of new provincial offices.
"You might ask, isn't it a local issue? It is not a local issue, I wish it were...This is a naked attempt to drain the already bleeding national coffers to fund this pointless exercise in political adventurism," Governor Garcia told her colleagues.
In her last visit to Cebu, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo refused to say anything about the debate, saying it is a local issue.
Catanduanes Governor Leandro Verceles Jr., the first one to interact after Garcia's speech, said he was "satisfactorily convinced" by the statistics, data and history.
Verceles was the one who moved to oppose the break-up of Cebu "both because of its history and social and economic dimension."
Same pie
"And let the words of this body reverberate in the halls of justice, Congress, Malacañang and the people," said Verceles.
Samar Governor Ben Evardone moved that it be unanimously seconded. He also pushed for the creation of the legal panel.
Misamis Occidental Governor Loreto Ocampos asked for the resolution calling for the moratorium on creating new local governments. Sarangani Governor Miguel Dominguez joined him, pointing out that Arroyo is even trimming the bureaucracy for government to be more efficient.
"The money remains the same, it is still the same pie that many will be sharing. And of course they will be expected to accommodate their political leaders in the new bureaucracy," said Dominguez.
Applause filled the room where the governors gathered Friday and listened to what they said was a convincing presentation from Governor Garcia.
Governor Rosette Lerias of Southern Leyte said that Garcia's presentation mentioned the three proposed provinces in Cebu and projected a decrease of P3.5 million in IRA share of each province.
Can't afford
If they consider the other proposed new provinces that are still pending in Congress (Dinagat Island, Western Leyte, Bukidnon del Sur and Quezon del Sur), Lerias said they can roughly peg the reduction at more than P7 million each.
"We must look into our respective budgets and see if we can afford this. Let's try to stretch our peso and keep things as they are," said Lerias.
All resolutions were passed en masse.
Earlier, proponents of new Cebu provinces said their bills will bring more development into their territory and will "bring government closer to the people."
Representatives Antonio Yapha, Simeon Kintanar and Clavel Martinez believe their districts have long been taken for granted. The share their new provinces will get from IRA, equal with other existing provinces, will be enough to cover personnel and basic services, they added.
(April 9, 2005 issue)
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