Solon wants Fernan monument in Bogo

CEBU, Philippines —  Fourth District Representative Janice Salimbangon is eyeing to put up a memorial monument of Marcelo Briones Fernan in front of Bogo City Hall and to declare every 24th of October as special non-working holiday in the city.

 Fernan hailed from Bogo City, the bailiwick of the Martinezes, the Salimbangons’ political rival since 2007 elections.

Salimbangon filed two separate bills honoring Fernan, the “greatest and outstanding Bogohanon, a statesman, an illustrious Filipino and legal luminary.”

 House Bill No. 3242 seeks to construct a monument befitting of a person who has served as head of the two branches of government being Chief Justice and Senate President.

 Salimbangon cited Wikipedia which named Fernan in his lifetime the only Filipino to have headed two great branches of government thereby distinguished himself undeniably an “illustrious Filipino” and “statesman”.

 Under the proposed bill, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines shall exercise and control over the construction of the said monument.

 Salimbangon proposed the amount of P5 million to finance the construction of the monument.

 House Bill No. 3243, on the other hand, seeks to declare every 24th of October as Marcelo Briones Fernan Day as he was born on October 24, 1926 to  spouses Judge Wenceslao and Margarita Briones-Fernan.

 “By declaring October 24 as ‘Marcelo Briones Fernan Day’ and a special non-working holiday in the City of Bogo, Cebu, it would mean an honorable tribute to commemorate his contributions to the society,” Salimbangon said.

 Both HB 3242 and 3243 are now pending before the House Committee on Public Works and Highways, and Local Government, respectively, since August 6, 2019. — FPL (FREEMAN)