Let there be no cross-purposes - II

What is primordial to Mandaue City and the Mandauehanons in their aspiration for a lone legislative district is that they deserve it. While the issue now may seem merely episodic, its essence is futuristic and epochal.

To save Rep. Luigi Quisumbing from his timorous and indefensible stand that he is for conversion of Mandaue City to a lone district as “Mandaue deserves it”, and yet, also interjecting “economic and legal impediments” is vaguely speculative and illusory, let him finally go for it for the sake of the people he supposedly represents.

Indeed, with seemingly insurmountable odds to overcome because of whatever political exigencies like shifting sands. Quisumbing has to re-file the previous House Bill of former Rep. Efren Herrera, or file his own version and fight it out in Congress. It behooves him to carry on the clamor of his Mandaue constituents, such that, should he succeed ultimately, or fail temporarily, it doesn’t detract a bit the respect and gratitude that Mandaue City would feel, rather than a wavering stance now in abject surrender. And that is not in the vocabulary of Mandauehanons with regard to just causes worth fighting for.

What bitter irony that without Mandaue officials beggaring for support, the sectors supposedly prejudiced by Mandaue’s conversion, are profusely for it. Provincial Board member Arleigh Sitoy of Cordova, Mayor Teresa Alegado of Consolacion, and even Lapulapu City Mayor Paz Radaza are gung ho for Mandaue City. Even the three Cebu solons of One Cebu Party could not be that dead serious or hell bent in their contrary stand because of so-called impediments affecting the 6th District, particularly Cordova and Consolacion. They themselves are interested in reapportionment of the House seats for better governance and larger IRA and PDAP shares for the towns. The lesser LGUs there are, the bigger the share of each town and each barangay from the pork barrel.

Admittedly, the 2nd, the 3rd, and the 5th congressional districts with almost similar number of towns, are hankering to divide their districts in the next session of Congress. Why can’t Mandaue City be accommodated as well? Given the varying number of LGUs affected per district vis-à-vis the criteria on population, area, and revenue, the redistricting isn’t smooth sailing; nevertheless, say, Cordova can be tacked to Lapulapu City, and Consolacion may be reapportioned to the 5th district, or attached to Mandaue City to retain the 6th district.

With other congressmen nationwide having also reapportionment interests, there would certainly be a lively circus in the Lower House. As to which provinces and cities would the “fountain bless” as the song goes, would depend on varying factors, especially on gigantic funding, and political “give-and-take” for the numbers. It boils down to “I scratch your back, and you scratch mine”, and “rubbing elbows”, or poking them if need be, common among petty ward satraps.

Definitely as earlier said, the Constitutional provision on “contiguous, compact, and adjacent territory” to obviate the gerrymandering of districts, that is, “as far as practicable”, will not be the rule en strictissima juris as the Philippine territory is archipelagic.

Another thing, forget the Constitutional provision (Section 32, Article VI) on the last resort to be heard through a “system of initiative and referendum” because there appears no legal mechanism as yet has been set by Congress. Besides, even if there be any now, the results of such direct peoples’ move would still end on the laps of Congress.

Interjecting that the issue of reapportionment or redistricting, whether unrealistically total nationwide or partial for a certain legislative district and/or some other districts, or creation of lone districts, has to be “done through a constitutional assembly, constitutional convention and through peoples’ initiative” as Quisumbing claims, does not hold water. It’s within the power and authority of Congress. The recent example is that of Lapulapu City which has been created as a lone legislative district by the act or fiat of Congress and approved by the President.

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