"CREATING another province is a complicated process. Let us finish first the Negros Island Region," said Negros Occidental Fifth District Representative Emilio Yulo III.
He added, "We can harmonize that later. But first, let us finish up the creation of the NIR and later on harmonize the contending proposals."
He made the reaction on the proposal of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo to create a fourth province that will compose the NIR so that Visayan-speaking localities and Negros Oriental will have equal voting at the Regional Development Council (RDC).
Yulo said creating a province will take another legislative process under the Local Government Code and needs to comply with mandatory requirements like land, income and population.
Yulo is the latest official to give an unfavorable stand on Degamo's counter proposal, which he presented in a closed door meeting with Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson in Dunaguete last week.
Lacson is trying to convince Degamo to support NIR.
San Carlos City Mayor Renato Gustilo last week has issued a statement that Degamo needs to be admitted to the mental hospital for his proposal to separate San Carlos City from Negros Occidental.
Gustilo said that highways were constructed in the mountains to connect and lessen the travel time from San Carlos City to Bacolod City.
"He is just diverting the issue away from the creation of NIR that he is opposing," Gustilo said.
Since the time of the late Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., he has openly opposed the idea of the NIR, Gustilo said.