Sugbuak passes House committee

Proponents of 'Sugbuak' won the first round of the battle to create three more provinces out of Cebu after the Committee on Local Government approved the three bills filed by Cebuano congressmen during yesterday's committee hearing.

With seven voting in favor, two against, and four abstentions, the committee chaired by Rep. Emilio Macias of Negros Oriental, will now endorse the bills to the Committee on Rules so they can be calendared for second and third reading.

Once approved, the three bills will be transmitted to the Senate then to the Office of the President before a plebiscite can be scheduled.

Rep. Simeon Kintanar (Cebu-2nd), Rep. Antonio Yapha (Cebu-3rd), and Rep. Clavel Asas-Martinez (Cebu-4th), the authors of the three bills, got the support of Reps. Matoy Barinaga, Harlene Abayon, Eduardo Roquero, and Crispin Remulla as they all voted in the affirmative.

Cebu City South District Rep. Antonio Cuenco voted against the approval together with Rep. Eduardo Zialcita.

Reps. Gilbert Remulla and Victor Sumulong together with and Buhay Partylist Reps. Rene Velarde and Hanz Christian Señerez all abstained from voting.

The three separate bills push for the creation of Cebu del Norte, Cebu del Sur, and Cebu Occidental.

Cuenco said that prior to the hearing, he agreed with Reps. Eduardo Gullas (Cebu-1st) and Raul del Mar (Cebu City-North) that he be the one to attend the meeting as his two colleagues were to attend the Committee on Justice hearing on the latest effort to impeach President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Cuenco added that he was supposed to question the quorum, but the committee had one-fifth of the total 77 members present when the hearing started. The rules state that a quorum can be attained once one-fifth of the total number of committee members are present.

Two other Cebuano congressmen, Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu-6th) and Ramon 'Red' Durano VI (Cebu-5th) were not present in the hearing.

Macias said in an interview with The FREEMAN/Banat News that 17 were present at the start of the deliberations and only 16 were needed for a quorum.

He also dismissed rumors that he allegedly railroaded the approval of the 'Sugbuak' bills saying that it took time for the committee approval to happen.

"How can that be railroading? Nidagan man ug kapin sa usa ka tuig and Sugbuak bills and there's so many obstacles to have it approved," Macias said.

Rep. Yapha expressed his elation over this initial victory saying that once his proposed Cebu Occidental will be realized, there will be a better delivery of services to his constituents.

"Abi nimo hopeful kaayo mi kay parehas sa voting karon, di man gyud manghilabut ang ubang kongresista kay di man sila gustong hilabtan sa ilang kaugalingon," yapha told DYLA.

Cuenco said that he also raised the matter of the need to conduct a public hearing in Cebu on the matter, but Macias said that it would not be necessary since a plebiscite will still be conducted.

Cuenco also said that Martinez questioned his presence saying that he should not be in the meeting since he is not a resident of the province.

The Cebu City South District congressman explained that Cebu City is the capital of the province and thus will be affected by the proposals. He is now urging those who oppose the three bills to campaign in the plenary to block the passage.

"Kinahanglan nga mangusog ang mga oppositors. Wa man motambong sila si Pabling (Garcia) diri, wa man motambong si Gwen, unya ang ubang mga kongresista sa Sugbo wa man ko tabangi diri," Cuenco lamented over DYLA.

Despite the approval by the committee of Macias, Pablo Garcia, brother of Governor Gwendolyn and also her consultant, said that this cannot even be considered a first round.

He added that their camp is hopeful that the proponents will have a hard time getting the bills approved in the plenary.

He added that they can also question the passage on the committee level.

"We can even go to court because the committee violated their own rules because there's no petition yet from the affected local government units," he said.