Bacolod City – “It’s not for political accommodation,” Councilor Al Victor Espino said of his resolution inquiring on the status of the House bill that seeks to divide Bacolod City into two legislative districts.
Espino said that by 2023, the Department of Budget and Management will look into reducing the Internal Revenue Allotment from the national government by at least 30 percent.
If that happens, Bacolod will lose about P600 million in IRA but if the redistricting of the city pushes through, that will cushion the effect, he said.
The redistricting of Bacolod is long overdue since Rep. Greg Gasataya filed the bill in the 17th Congress and refiled it when he was re-elected in the 18th Congress, Espino also said.
Gasataya earlier said the bill dividing Bacolod into two legislative districts awaits the concurrence of the City of Bacolod through a resolution approved by the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Gasataya added that a bill with similar intention was also filed by Abang-Lingkod Partylist Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano in the 17th Congress as HB No. 617.
Under Section 1 of the proposed redistricting, barangays 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 41, Alangilan, Banago, Bata, Estefania, Granada, Mandalagan, Montevista, and Villamonte will comprise the first district.
Barangays 28, 29, 39, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, Alijis, Cabug, Felisa, Handumanan, Mansilingan, Pahanocoy, Punta Taytay, Singcang-Airport, Sum-ag, Taculing, Tangub, and Vista Alegre will comprise the second district.
The proposal also states that the SP in each district will be composed of a vice mayor as presiding officer and eight regular council members, including the president of the Liga ng mga Barangay, president of the Sangguniang Kabataan, and other sectoral representatives as members.
(Adrian Nemes via The Visayan Daily Star (TVDS), photo courtesy of TVDS)