Mayor hits Cuenco effort, but says Guadalupe split is the right thing

CEBU - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña believes that South district Rep. Antonio Cuenco is “doing the right thing for the wrong reason” on his plan to file a bill in Congress splitting the populous barangay Guadalupe into two.

“He is doing the right thing for the wrong reason, he is just getting even with Faelnar,” the mayor said in a press conference yesterday.

Eugenio Faelnar, the barangay captain of Guadalupe, is now at odds with Cuenco over the alleged misuse of funds given to the barangay.

Cuenco however laughed off the statement of Osmeña saying the issue on splitting barangay Guadalupe transcends politics as it is the clamor of the residents since a long time ago.

“With respect to the mayor’s opinion, I vigorously deny that. In fact, it was politics that derailed this proposal. There is no politics involved here,” Cuenco said.

Cuenco said that since 1987, when he was first elected congressman, this has been the clamor of the people and in 1997, his son, former Cebu City Councilor Ronald Cuenco, filed an ordinance for the splitting of barangay Guadalupe and this was approved by former Mayor Alvin Garcia.

Cuenco said that Osmeña was the one who approved the P100,000 appropriation for the conduct of plebiscite when the latter was elected as mayor in 2001.

Osmeña said that he is not against Cuenco’s proposal but he is worried about the details that will be embodied in the proposed bill.

“Are the people really ready for it? I’m worried about those who are not ready. I don’t want that Cuenco will chop Guadalupe for the sake of chopping it.

 “The delivery of basic services might be affected and Tony Cuenco doesn’t care,” the mayor said.

Cuenco however countered that the delivery of basic services will be enhanced and would become more efficient once the splitting will push through.

Barangay Guadalupe is one of the biggest barangays in the country with a population of more than 60,000.

Cuenco wants Banawa and Englis to be detached from barangay Guadalupe.

Once it is split, barangay Guadalupe will become Guadalupe Proper while Banawa and Englis will become a new barangay.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama is happy that the proposal has been resurrected.

He however made it clear that he is not against, nor is he for the splitting up of the said barangay as according and would rather have the people decide on the matter.

Cuenco said that he is very serious with his proposal and would pursue this despite objections as this would be his legacy once he bows out from government service in 2010.

The congressman said that once he would file the proposed bill next week, this will be scheduled for a deliberation before the House Committee on Local Government and if the members of the committee, which might hold a public hearing here.

Cuenco, however, said that there is no need for a public hearing since his proposed bill already underwent public hearing before the ordinance was approved in 1997.

Cuenco however said that if the oppositionists would demand a public hearing, it can be done provided it will not be Congress that will be spending for it.

The Committee has 65 members excluding more than 30 technical staff.

Once the proposed bill is approved by the committee, this will go to the plenary for approval of all members of the House.

Once approved in the House, this will go through the Senate for concurrence before this will be approved by the President of the Republic of the Philippines.

Cuenco further said that 60 days after the approval by the President, a plebiscite can then be conducted.

In the plebiscite, voters are asked to either reject or accept the proposal, with the outcome of the plebiscite determining the fate of the proposed measure, action, constitution, or other political proposal.

The legislator added that if majority of the votes are in favor of the split, it will not become operative unless there are new sets of barangay officials of the newly-formed barangay elected by the people.

He explained that under his proposed bill, the election for the new barangay officials of the newly-formed barangay will take place only during the next barangay elections.

In the meantime, Cuenco said if the split will be made before the end of the year, the newly-formed barangay will still be under barangay Guadalupe in so far as management is concerned.

 “Di man ta ni dali-dalion. Ang importante nga matunga ang barangay Guadalupe because that is the clamor of the people and I assure the mayor that there will be a smooth transition,” he said.

Osmeña further said that at least 95 percent of Guadalupe residents should be in favor of the split as a 100 percent acceptance cannot be expected as there are people who will go against it. – /NLQ (THE FREEMAN)