Navotas steps closer to cityhood

Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco is now optimistic that the town’s cityhood is well within sight after Senate President Manny Villar signed Tuesday night House Bill 5500, the piece of legislation that will convert Navotas into a highly urbanized city.

Tiangco announced the good news yesterday and thanked Villar for acting with dispatch, signing the bill shortly before midnight last Tuesday.

The bill is now just awaiting President Arroyo’s signature. The ratification of the cityhood will be made in a plebiscite to be held likely before the May polls, Tiangco said.

Sources in Tiangco’s camp said Malabon-Navotas Rep. Federico Sandoval, the bill’s principal author, was "forced" to facilitate the signing after the mayor made a racket about San Juan getting ahead of Navotas’ own bid for cityhood when it applied long before San Juan did.

The other day, Tiangco complained that San Juan’s bid was immediately signed by House Speaker Jose de Venecia in Jan. 31, two days from the Senate’s approval on third reading last Jan. 29.

Tiangco blamed Sandoval for delaying the process. Navotas’ bid was ratified by the House on Dec. 19, but was referred to the committee on rules by Sandoval, "for certain personal reasons," instead of sending it De Venecia for signature, said Tiangco.

Political observers said Villar’s signing was "rushed" by Sandoval only after Tiangco "made noise" over the radio last Tuesday, badgering legislators to sign the overdue bill.

Alex Rosete, Sandoval’s chief of staff, said yesterday it’s up to De Venecia and Mrs. Arroyo now to sign the bill. – Jerry Botial