Noy asked to declare Cabanatuan as highly urbanized city

CABANATUAN CITY ,Philippines  – The Sangguniang Panglunsod (SP) passed yesterday a resolution asking President Aquino to issue a proclamation declaring this city as a highly urbanized city (HUC).

 The SP, chaired by Vice Mayor Jolly Garcia, passed the resolution during its regular Monday session, saying the city has met all the necessary requirements for conversion, including income. Eleven of the city councilors, mostly allies of Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara, signed the resolution.

A plebiscite will be held among Cabanatuan residents after the issuance of a presidential proclamation.  

It is the second attempt to convert the city into HUC.

In 1995, Vergara’s predecessor, Manolette Liwag also pushed for HUC conversion. But the move lost badly during the plebiscite due to the opposition by the Josons. 

If this effort succeeds, Cabanatuan would be politically independent from the provincial government and voters from Cabanatuan will no longer vote for governor. All taxes collected in the city would no longer be remitted to the province and the Sangguniang Panlalawigan need not review ordinances passed by the city council.         

Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali is opposing the HUC status saying this would remove the powers of the provincial government and the SP to check possible abuses of city officials. He said city officials may abuse their powers and this could trigger corruption in “high places.”

The governor added that converting Cabanatuan into a HUC and making it a separate political subdivision from Nueva Ecija is delivering the wrong message to the people, tantamount to saying Cabanatueños are no longer Novo Ecijanos which is exactly not the case in point.

Also yesterday, the council passed a resolution requesting third district Rep. Czarina Umali to sponsor a bill in the House of Representatives declaring Cabanatuan as a lone congressional district.