First district execs sign 2 'Sugbuak' manifestos

The call for a public hearing on the proposal to split Cebu into several provinces is not yet over.

Mayors and vice mayors of the first district of Cebu have signed two separate manifestos - a manifesto exhorting House committee chairman on local government Emilio Macias to reconsider his stand on holding the public hearing in Cebu and a manifesto strongly opposing proposals to divide Cebu into four provinces.

The first district is composed of the municipalities of Minglanilla, Naga, Carcar, San Fernando, and Sibonga, and the city of Talisay.

In the first manifesto that was unanimously approved and signed last September 5, the local officials said "the people of Cebu province in whose concern and future welfare, the hearing is of primordial importance, for their voice and participation to be heard would become nugatory because of the impossibility for them to go to Manila."

The other manifesto on their opposition to divide Cebu, the local officials said, "the move will only result to financial difficulty, political instability, and divisiveness."

Earlier, three Cebuano legislators, Reps. Simeon Kintanar of the 2nd district, Antonio Yapha of the 3rd district, and Clavel Martinez of the 4th district, proposed converting their respective districts into separate provinces.

Yapha filed a bill in Congress for the conversion of the 3rd district into Cebu Occidental, with Toledo City as capital. Martinez wants the 4th district named Cebu del Norte while Kintanar authored a bill creating Cebu del Sur comprising his own district.

Interestingly, the three are on their third and final terms in office, but they all dismissed speculations that they want to create new offices to be able to stay in power after their terms expire. - Garrry B. Lao