Passage of bill creating new Camarines Sur district deferred

MANILA, Philippines - The Senate has deferred passage of a bill seeking to create a new district in Camarines Sur that would allow President Arroyo’s son Diosdado to retain his congressional seat.

Sen. Benigno Aquino III said he intends to interpolate Sen. Joker Arroyo after he sponsored committee report 550 on the floor last Wednesday.

Under Senate rules, a senator can express his wish to interpolate during the debates on a bill.

Aquino, Senate committee on local government chairman, said his office is also communicating with other constitutional luminaries to be able to expound on his position that the bill violates the population requirement of 250,000 inhabitants for every district.

“We would like to request for time to prepare to its fullest degree our interpollation on the measure,” he said. The Senate approved Aquino’s request after no objection was manifested on the floor.

On the other hand, Arroyo said Camarines Sur is entitled to six districts because its population of over 1.6 million is underrepresented in four congressional districts. 

“What is asked for now is an additional one instead of additional two,” he said.

Arroyo said two republic acts created Zamboanga Sibugay and another district in Mindanao in 2002, which had similar circumstances as the proposed creation of a new district in Camarines Sur.

“Mr. President, this bill HB 4264 seeks to create additional district in the province of Camarines Sur by recasting the municipalities in the current first district into two,” he said at the Senate floor.

Arroyo said the first district will be divided into two districts to include the municipalities of Libmanan, Minalabac, Pamplona and Pasacao.

San Fernando of the current first district will be consolidated with the municipalities of Gainza, and Milaor of the current second district to comprise the new legislative district, he added.   – Christina Mendez