Angara blocks bill on Angeles district

ANGELES CITY — Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP) president Sen. Edgardo Angara has reportedly blocked the slated third hearing on the proposal to make this city a lone congressional district, separating it from the towns of Magalang and Mabalacat and entitling it to elect its own congressman in the May 2004 polls.

"We are quite perplexed why Sen. Angara blocked the bill for third hearing since the other proposals creating lone districts for Parañaque City, Antipolo City and San Jose City in Nueva Ecija were allowed to pass third reading," said provincial board member and basketball coach Joseller "Yeng" Guiao.

Guiao has bared plans to run for congressman under the Lakas-CMD (Christian Muslim Democrats) party in the Mabalacat-Magalang district. At present, the two towns and this city comprise Pampanga’s first district.

Senate Bill 2441, sponsored by Sen. Robert Barbers, was passed on second reading over a week ago.

The House earlier passed a similar proposal sponsored by first district Rep. Francis Nepomuceno of the NPC.

Nepomuceno, who is on his second term, would qualify for another three terms with the creation of Angeles as a lone congressional district. Mabalacat and Magalang, comprising another district, will have their own congressman.

Guiao said he and Nepomuceno tried to find out from Angara why he had opposed the third reading of SB 2441.

"He simply replied ‘Next year na lang ‘yon (Let’s tackle it next year),’" Guiao said.

He noted that Congress would resume sessions only on Jan. 12 after the deadline on the filing of candidacies.

"What I cannot fathom is Sen. Angara’s intentions in blocking the bill that would prevent it from taking effect in time for the elections next year," Guiao said.

"Sen. Angara initially was in favor of the proposal, and we had some difficulty with Senators (John) Osmeña and (Aquilino) Pimentel in lobbying for it until we explained that there were no legal impediments to the bill," he said.

He was referring to doubts on whether Mabalacat and Magalang combined have the required minimum population of 250,000 to comprise a separate political district.