Let the Cabanatuan plebiscite proceed

MANILA, Philippines - This refers to the news item “SC stops plebiscite on Cabanatuan HUC conversion” (STAR, 1/16/14).

Frustrated! This was the feeling of the more than 200,000 registered voters in Cabanatuan City upon learning that the Supreme Court restrained the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) from holding the much-awaited highly-urbanized city (HUC) plebiscite scheduled tomorrow, Jan. 25. With the Supreme Court restraining order, unless quashed or lifted, Cabanatuan voters will have to wait again for a new schedule of the conduct of the plebiscite.

It may be recalled that on July 4, 2012, President Aquino proclaimed Cabanatuan an HUC, stating that “it is the declared policy of the government to support the local government’s initiative to attain their fullest development and make them effective partners in the attainment of national goals.”

Pursuant to the proclamation, the COMELEC scheduled the required plebiscite on Dec. 1, 2012. However, the holding of the plebiscite had to be deferred and reset to Jan. 25, 2014 to give way to the May 13, 2013 national and local elections and the succeeding Oct. 28, 2013 barangay elections.

In their bid to end their “long wait,” Cabanatueños came up with a Church-initiated manifesto asking the Supreme Court to let the Comelec proceed with the holding of the HUC plebiscite scheduled tomorrow. Hopefully, their pleas will not fall on deaf ears.— PRUDENCIO E. MAGPAYO, First Cabanatuan Ventures Corp., Cabanatuan City