ABANG Lingkod party-list Representative Stephen Paduano said until this time, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia and the City Council have not endorsed the bill dividing the city into two districts.

“We expect to hasten this move especially that the redistricting was the campaign promise of the city officials and I cannot see any reason for the delay especially that the city officials now belong to one political party,” the lawmaker, who hails from the city’s Barangay Bata.

Paduano said he has sponsored the bill on redistricting while Bacolod City Lone District Representative Greg Gasataya also filed a similar bill.

He added that a technical working group has already been formed to reconcile both bills and was deliberated in March.

“We cannot continue the deliberation unless the city officials can submit the endorsements,” Paduano said.

He added it is unfortunate that there districting of Bacolod has been over taken by the redistricting of Iloilo City, which already passed the House committee on local government because the latter already have the required endorsements.

“Bacolod is very qualified for redistricting and we were first to file the move but unfortunately we are left behind,” Paduano said.

The redistricting of Bacolod was first proposed during the term of former Bacolod congressman Anthony Golez.