Solon promises to bring Sugbuak hearings here

Akbayan partylist Rep. Mario Aguja yesterday assured the Cebuanos of his vigilance over the pending House bills creating three more provinces out of the present Cebu, and of his effort to bring the public hearing on the matter to Cebu.

Aguja, a member of the House local government committee that handles the so-called Sugbuak bills, said it is imperative for the committee to listen to the sentiments of the Cebuanos first before taking action on the proposed measures.

Aguja, who was here in Cebu for the division assembly of Akbayan-Cebu held yesterday at the Barrio Luz barangay hall, said he will be among the congressmen who will make sure the bills will pass through the scrutiny of the Cebuanos first before being deliberated in the House.

The Charter Change issue has preoccupied the House attention at this time, and there is little possibility that the proponents can take up the Sugbuak bills now, said Aguja.

But he said that, "If ever it will be given focus again, we will make sure nga mabantayan jud ni namo. I think they should listen to the sentiments of the people that it is not yet the best time to divide Cebu."

Aguja disclosed that the Sugbuak bills have slim chance to get passed because of the negative reactions that these got, this early, from most of the Cebuanos.

He admitted however that the committee chairman, Rep. Emilio Macias of Negros Oriental, previously decided not to bring the Sugbuak public hearings to Cebu.

Macias said in the past that he has the final say on any action his panel may take and, as far as he is concerned, there will be no hearings in Cebu.

Even then, Aguja was not ready to yield as he told Cebuanos that there is still a good possibility that Macias' decision will be overturned because most of the suggestions reaching the committee have been against the Sugbuak or have asked that the hearings be held in Cebu.

The Sugbuak bills are those of Reps. Simeon Kintanar (for the creation of Cebu del Sur), Antonio Yapha (for the creation of Cebu Occidental), and Clavel Asas-Martinez (for the creation of Cebu del Norte).

Governor Gwen Garcia has been strongly opposed to the passage of the bills contending that dividing Cebu province would only be to the government's disadvantage.

Cebu City south district Rep. Antonio Cuenco said his peers in Congress want the Macias committee to resolve first the issue on whether the bills complied with the requirements for creating a new province.

Among these requirements is the submission of resolutions from different towns and cities, within a particular district, stating that they are amenable to the proposed creation of a new province out of the district.

Cuenco also said that the Land Management Bureau must certify also that the creation of the new provinces will not reduce the land area of the original Cebu province to less than the minimum requirement. - Jasmin R. Uy