Stripping Cebu’s sixth district
In October 2009, Lapu-Lapu City was torn away from Cebu’s sixth district when the city was converted into a lone congressional district. Soon, Mandaue City would also be stripped from the sixth, if a bill creating a similar lone district for it would be approved. House Bill 8511 passed second reading in the House last Tuesday (Nov. 27).
Most of the talk by proponents of a district conversion dwell on the benefits that they claim will pour into the new district. Explanatory note of the bill and the congressman’s pitch to their political leaders are full with the promise of good things to come. Few bother to know what will happen to the district that’s left behind, specifically the remaining LGUs.
Lapu-Lapu was a crown jewel of the sixth. So is the other city, Mandaue, that wants to break away too. With population of more than a third of a million each (Lapu-Lapu, 350,467 in 2010; Mandaue, 362,654 in 2015), and the revenue that each earns, what would have Consolacion and Cordova to show?
What rules apply
The public is told about the requirements on population and income in creating a new district. But not the requirements for the district that would be left once Mandaue would follow Lapu-Lapu’s lead?
Do the rules on income and population still apply? Or are they required only during legislative creation, not afterwards when the new district substantially diminishes the old district’s numbers?
12 kms., a bridge apart
Cebu’s sixth district is particularly interesting because with the exit of Lapu-Lapu and, sooner or later Mandaue, the two towns left, Consolacion and Cordova, are separated by about 12 kilometers. Being contiguous is supposedly a rule of thumb for the LGUs in the district. That won’t be any more with the two towns of the sixth being kilometers and a bridge apart.
One can appreciate then district congressman Luigi Quisumbing’s reluctance about the proposal. In March 2011, he said it was not economically and legally feasible. Besides, he said he had to consult One Cebu party leaders many of whom opposed the bill. Luigi was for the lone district, he said, but that was not yet its time. By December 2015, however, Luigi said he would’ve filed the bill but the 2016 election was coming and it would be up to Jonas Cortes, who was set to switch places with him, to take the law home.
Too late for Jonas Congressman Jonas filed House Bill 4117 last Oct. 18, 2016, followed by Rep. Bebot Abellanosa who filed HB 4523 last Nov. 24, 2016. Both bills were consolidated last Oct. 17 into HB 8511 by the House committee and approved on second reading last week.
Jonas might no longer claim credit for the law, as chances are dim it would pass the House and then the Senate before the 2019 elections. Just as they were then dim when, at about the same time in 2015, Luigi, then the congressman, begged off, saying it was then for his successor Cortes to make the law’s passage happen.
Explanation necessary
Some explaining has to be done to the voters of Mandaue on the reason for the delay. And to the voters of Consolacion and Cordova as well, on what the heck would happen to their towns.
They would still have the district and, to be sure, its congressman or congresswoman. And, for good or ill, maybe not much.