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| Former Dapitan City Mayor Jun Jalosjos (By JC) |
This is the reaction of
the people according to former Dapitan City Mayor Dominador G. Jalosjos, Jr. in
an interview with the media.
“It means, the two
representative and political leaders of the present administration don’t want
the province of Zamboanga del Sur to develop if they will terminate the passing
into law on the creation of third congressional district,” Jun Jalosjos said.
“They need to explain to
the people on the advantages of having additional congressional district,
especially to their followers who were objecting the approval of the law during
the senate committee hearing last August 16, 2012,” this is the unsolicited
advice of Jun Jalosjos who is planning to run for Governor in Zamboanga del
Sur.
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| Mayor Sammy Co (Photo by Leah Agonoy) |
“We are like
anti-development to our province and depriving the people on the opportunity
and the advantage of development if we will not pursuing the passage into law
of House Bill 3632 which is now in the senate waiting for positive action,”
Pagadian City Mayor Samuel S. Co said in his reaction to the request of the
provincial government on the postponement of the HB 3632 hearing.
It was recalled, the
House Bill No. 3632 also known as “AN ACT REAPPORTIONING THE PROVINCE OF
ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR INTO THREE LEGISLATIVE DISTRICTS” authored by the two
legislators, Cong. Victor Yu of the first District and Congresswoman Aurora
“Auring” Enerio Cerilles of the second District was approved during the regular
session in the Fifteenth Congress and was forwarded to the Senate on the early
part of this year 2012.
The Province of
Zamboanga del Sur which shall have three legislative districts to commence in
the next national elections after the approval of this act is hereby
reapportioned as follows:
The First Congressional
District is composed of 8 municipalities of Dumingag, Josefina, Mahayag,
Midsalip, Molave, Ramon Magsaysay, Sominot and Tambulig. While the Second
Congressional District composed of Pagadian City and the three municipalities
of Aurora, Labangan and Tukuran.
The existing Second
District and its municipalities will be renamed as the Third District
comprising 15 municipalities of Bayog, Dimataling, Dinas, Dumalinao, Guipos,
Kumalarang, Lakewood, Lapuyan, Margosatubig, Pitogo, San Miguel, San Pablo, Tabina,
Tigbao, and V. Sagun.
If this law will be
approved in the Senate, the COMELEC shall issue the necessary rules and
regulations for its implementation.
This act shall take
effect fifteen days after its publication in at least two newspapers of general
circulation.
The said house bill was
not immediately acted by the Senate due to the conduct of impeachment
proceedings against Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona.
But unexpectedly, when
it was called on August 16, 2012 in the senate during the conduct of committee
hearing by Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Committee Chairman on Local
Government of the Senate for approval, both solons were absent instead their
letter signed by them dated August 14, 2012 was read, requesting the chairman
of the committee to defer any action pending resolution of the above concerned
due to some objections as attached, Mayor Co said.
Mayor Co, who was also
invited during the hearing, got big surprised to realize he was the only
official from Zamboanga del Sur present bringing with him some documents and
position papers to supports the approval of the proposed bill.
“This is the second time
the hearing was called by the senate; the first was on August 9, 2012 when
Cong. Yu did the same,” Co added.
As of now Co is waiting
for another schedule for the Senate Committee Hearing after his request was
granted by the committee when he was requested to express his reactions
regarding the contents of the letter submitted by the two solon of Zamboanga
del Sur.
“Gisayangan ko sa
kahigayunan nga gihatag sa sendo, kung gitambongan pa lang ang maong hearing ug
walay gihimo nga pagsupak sigurasdo na jud unta ma aprobahan ang pagbaton ug 3
ka distrito sa Zamboanga del Sur dungan usab sa ubang mga probinsya nga susama
ug mga balaunon nga diin gipang-aprobahan tanan,” sumala pa ni Co.
It was learned that the
HB No. 3632 will become useless and need to be filled again to the next
congress if this will not approved into law before the deadline as seat by the
Commission on Election before October 31, 2012.
Mayor Co agree the
statement of Jun Jalosjos that the non-approval of the creation of additional
legislative district is a big lost in the province of Zamboanga del Sur and the
people felt like cheated and was deprive them to grow and develop.
In a resolution
submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan that was signed by 19 members of the
Liga ng mga Barangay of Labangan said, they are condemning the initiative of
revival of the creation of the third district for Zamboanga del Sur in the
Senate Committee on Local Government due to non consultation from them and to
its people. The Liga also accusing the proponents of the law are political
leaders who do not have the confidence of their people.
Likewise the 22 members
of Liga ng mga Barangay of Aurora also signed a petition letter address to the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan stated that they are opposing the fast-track of the
said house bill and feel mixed emotions and disconcerting on the proposal about
the attempt to fast-track the passage of the law due to lack of information to
the people and if ever it will be enacted what benefits will give to the them?
“At first glance, the
intention may appear advantageous to my constituents. However, with the present
political scenario, I am not certain of the implication of the said
redistricting. To be with Pagadian City in the proposed district, I believed
that my LGU will not benefit, as Pagadian City will surely take the biggest
share if not all. Further, as sitting mayor, I will be exposed to very
difficult situation in the 2013 elections,” this is the letter of Tukuran Mayor
Villamero dated August 11, 2012 addressed to the Senate Chairman of Committee
on Local Government Bongbong Marcos.
The five Board members
from the second district also submitted their signed petition letter addressed
to the August Chamber of Sangguniang Panlalawigan explaining that “At present,
there are only two congressional districts in the province of Zamboanga del
Sur. Both districts are apportioned five board members each. On the other hand,
if ever House Bill 3632 is enacted by the Senate, the regular board members for
the province remain the same, being a 1st class province, and
are limited to only ten as provided by the Local Government Code, as amended by
R.A. No.8553. For this particular reason it can be deducted that the present
second district will lose at least one representation and the second and the
current first district will gain at the very least one, and at most two
additional, seats. It is probable that the appointment of the board members per
district if there are three congressional districts the following: three for
the present first district, three for the proposed second district and four for
the future third district (present second district). In such a scenario, the
fair and equitable representation per district provided and envisioned in the
Local Government Code would be violated, especially so that the number of
municipalities in the present second district as well as its a population would
remain the same.”
The City Mayor of
Pagadian cannot believed that the objections from the Liga ng mga Barangay of
Labangan and Aurora municipalities and the letter of Mayor Francis Vic
Villamero of Tukuran has the merit and not appropriate to delay the approval of
the law.
Co said, the objections
should been done during the deliberation in Congress before the approval of the
House Bill No. 3632 and not in the senate which is already more on formality in
nature that need only different national government agencies involving the
concerned issues.
“It is not also
reasonable that we’ll condemn our leaders of the province, I will not believe
that our present administration in our province has weakened their political
leadership as disobedience done against their good plans for Zamboanga del Sur.
I will not also believe that our two members of congress are irresponsible
enough in their duties and responsibilities for complying all the requirements
because the law was already approved in the lower house and it is already in
the Senate for the final approval, Co explained.
| “I have already done my part as congressman and the house bill was already endorsed to the Senate but I doubted this will approve due to lack of time,” this is always the answer of Cong. Yu when asked by the members of media whenever doing follow-up on the proposed additional district. |
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| ZamboSur 1st Dist.Cong. Victor Yu (By JC) |
“Cong. Yu statement is
contradicting of what he did because the Senate is in a hurry and fast-tracking
the hearing due volumes of house bill pending at the committee as a result of
the newly concluded impeachment trial. However, Yu is showing negative interest
and action done during the committee hearing,” Co concluded.
“I
doubt there are another reasons behind these issues and my only request to them
is please let us set aside personal interest, instead we’ll give priority what
is the best to our province and to the interest of the majority,” the City
Mayor appealed.
Co is now serving his
last term as City Mayor of Pagadian and was already declared to run in the 1st congressional
district of Zamboanga del Sur.
(JONG D. CADION –
Frontline MINDANAO ONLINE)
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