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Thursday, August 11, 2005
Cebu guv, congresswoman clash at hearing
By Minerva B. Gerodias
MANILA -- A heated verbal exchange between Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia and Representative Clavel Asas-Martinez led to the premature adjournment Wednesday of the House committee hearing on three bills seeking to create new provinces in Cebu.
The nearly two-hour hearing ended with the creation of a technical working group tasked to study the three bills.
Camarines Sur Representative Luis Villafuerte, a former governor, will head the group. Representative Emilio Macias, who chairs the committee on local government, said it will be up to Villafuerte to choose its members.
But one of the members should come from the province, and each of the three proponents should be represented.
The hearing was a venue for those for and against the proposals to come face to face for the first time.
On one side were Garcia, Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr., Provincial Board (PB) Members Victor Maambong and Juan Bolo, and Representative Eduardo Gullas, Antonio Cuenco and Raul del Mar.
Seated on the other side were Martinez and her fellow proponents Reps. Antonio Yapha and Simeon Kintanar, with former senator John "Sonny" Osmeña, former congressman Celestino "Junie" Martinez, and PB Members Gabriel Luis Quisumbing, Estrella Yapha, Joven Mondigo and Carmiano Kintanar.
Cheering squad
Garcia and Martinez first clashed after the governor's presentation, when the congresswoman commented: "(Although) Mrs. Gwendolyn Garcia Codilla brought her cheering squad (to Congress), it does not give reason for the denial of our petition."
By cheering squad, Martinez meant the 38 mayors who were with Garcia Wednesday and clapped when Congressman Gullas requested the committee to hold a hearing in Cebu.
Garcia answered, "Congresswoman Martinez, due to the resolution of my (annulment) case, I shall be recognized as Gwendolyn Fiel Garcia."
Martinez replied, "Noted."
Aside from the figures that Garcia presented, she also pointed out that the bills have another legal flaw: these lacked a petition from the towns and component cities that are affected, as provided in the implementing rules of the Local Government Code.
In the later part of the hearing, Akbayan party-list Representative Mario Aguja asked why the creation of the new provinces would be disastrous to Cebu.
'Interrupted'
Garcia started explaining, while Martinez talked to her seatmate, prompting the governor to ask if she had any questions.
Macias told Garcia to continue, but she said, "I was talking and I was rudely interrupted."
Martinez then raised her voice: "I was not interrupting you. I move to adjourn and my motion to adjourn is not debatable."
Macias immediately suspended the hearing.
Gullas pleaded with the group to discuss the matter in an honorable manner and to avoid being too emotional.
At that point, Akbayan Representative Loretta Ann Rosales asked the governor to present a position paper on how the province, if not divided, could be beneficial to "the marginalized."
Rosales also moved for the creation of the technical working group.
In an interview, Martinez said the hearing was only meant to determine whether the bills met legal requirements.
Questions
"Kani gud si Gwendolyn, di man siya gusto himoan ug tulo ka provinces kay asa pa man na siya lansar, aber? (She does not want the new provinces, because where would she run for office then?) So, that's why she keeps telling the bills do not comply with the requirements, which is incorrect."
But in a separate interview, Garcia said there's was an apparent attempt to stop her from presenting her calculations on the cost of creating the new provinces.
"Maybe it hurt her to hear me talking, maybe she did not understand or she's just scared that the truth will come out. I was afraid she would have a heart attack," Garcia said.
Macias admitted that the creation of the working group was also meant to ease tension in the debate. "Aron di na mi mag-away kay pwerte gubota," he said.
But he also explained that the working group will consider some questions that were not asked during the hearing, such as how the existing province's assets will be divided.
The committee will meet again after the group has rendered its report. (Sun.Star Cebu/Sunnex)
(August 11, 2005 issue)
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