Bacolod citizens groups yesterday again aired their opposition to the continuing move to divide the city into two legislative districts saying it is not only untimely and superfluous but also unjust, oppressive and repressive.

The Negrenses 4 Noy Movement, Bacolod Citizens Alliance 4 Good Governance, and Negros Coalition for Social Change, in a press release called on the citizens of Bacolod to oppose and reject House Bill No. 02999 and its Senate version, both of which call for the partition of Bacolod City into two legislative districts.

The release was signed by N4NM convenor Nana Yulo,BCAGG chairBerns Eris, and NCSC secretary general Edwin Balajadia.

The groups said what the city and its citizens need now is not another district but the full and effective efforts of its local government officials, from its representative in Congress down to the barangays to address and resolve the urgent issues. They cited the unabated mass poverty, inadequate delivery of basic social services, and continuing environmental degradation including uncollected garbage that plague many of the city’s citizens and environs.

They said the proposed redistricting the city at this time is superfluous because the city does not now need two representatives in Congress to carry out its relevant legislative and policy agenda.

Whatever “economic windfall” the proponents of redistricting are harping especially in having additional “pork barrel” to spend, is at best, still speculative when it comes to ensuring that this would lead to economic upliftment of the many poor in the city, and may instead only benefit a select few, they said.

It is also highly questionable whether the proposed districts of the city had, indeed, fully and legally complied with the 250,000 people per district requirement set forth in the Constitution as evidenced by the latest NSO or government survey, they added.

The group said the proposed redistricting is unjust and oppressive because the past and current efforts undertaken in both the House and the Senate respectively are bereft of social acceptability and public participation as no “official” and mandatory public consultations were conducted in the city to get the people’s views and sentiment on the matter.

Given the apparent import of such proposed legal measure to the long term welfare and interests of the city’s citizens, the House and the Senate must have provided ample time and venue to consult the vast majority of Bacolodnons on such matter, they said.*CGS

back to top