Sugbuak forum spawns criticism, disorder

What was expected to be a peaceful consultation on the issue of dividing Cebu at the Parish Social Hall of Minglanilla has spawned criticisms and disorder.

Pursuant to the circular issued by Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, parish officials yesterday attempted to get the sentiments of the more than two hundreds parishioners from the 10 parishes from Talisay City to Naga town on the proposed division of the province.

But disorder marred the casting of votes by the forum participants over their stand on the three House proposals seeking to create three more provinces out of Cebu.

This after many participants were instructed to write their names under their stand on the proposals while some were just told to raise their hands during the voting.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia made an hour-long presentation of "One Cebu, United Cebu." But when the governor left, more than half of the participants also left the venue after voting against the division of the province.

This prompted Fr. Trinidad "Dadi" Silva Jr. to order the volunteers manning the registration counter to discard the votes of those who have yet to hear the next speaker, who was to air the side of the proponents to divide the province. "We will move it back to zero because we have to hear the both sides, those who are in favor and those who are supporting the move so that they can have their own stand on both sides. We will only count those who are present in the last voting," Silva said.

But an argument erupted between Silva and the registration volunteers who said they could not prevent those who cast their votes against the plan to divide the province even without hearing its proponents.

"There are many who said, we are against Sugbuak kay supak si Cardinal, but that should not be the case, we want them to give an educated stand, this is the right process," Silva said

In the end, 115 participants voted against the move to split Cebu while four opted to support the plan. The final list will be the basis of the report to be submitted to Vidal.

More than half of the participants left after the presentation of those against the province's division, while the rest listened to Alex Gonzales, who spoke in behalf of Rep. Simeon Kintanar, who is pushing for the creation of Cebu del Sur.

Kintanar said he thanked the forum organizers for giving him the chance to present his side.