EDITORIAL - Gerrymandering

The province of Camarines Sur used to have four congressional districts. As of the midterm elections in 2007, the first district had a population of 417,304; the second, which includes Naga City, 474,899; the third, 372,548; and the fourth, which includes Iriga City, 429,070.

Republic Act 9716, passed by the 14th Congress, carved out a fifth district, made up of five municipalities with a total population of 176,383. The towns were from the first district, which had the second smallest population under the previous representative distribution. This smaller district now has two congressional representatives – and double the pork barrel allocation.

Yet RA 9716 was upheld last week by the Supreme Court, with nine justices voting in favor of the new apportionment. The direct beneficiary of the ruling is President Arroyo’s younger son Dato, who wants to keep his congressional seat despite his vague ties to the Bicol Region. Coming on the heels of the SC ruling allowing President Arroyo to appoint the next chief justice, the case has reinforced public perceptions that this is a tribunal that does the bidding of Malacañang.

Critics call it a case of gerrymandering. Dissenters in the SC pointed out that the creation of the fifth district violated constitutional requirements on proportional representation, a minimum population of 250,000 per legislative district, and uniformity in apportioning legislative districts not just in cities and Metro Manila but also in provinces.

This case can only worsen public dissatisfaction with the President, which stood at a record 69 percent – for a net satisfaction rating of negative 53 – in the latest survey taken by Social Weather Stations Inc. But the President has often said that she is not engaged in a popularity contest. The other loser is the Supreme Court, whose public image is approaching what it was when it legitimized Ferdinand Marcos’ one-man rule in the first year of martial law. An erosion of public trust in the court of last resort can only bode ill for the judiciary, the rule of law and democracy in this country.