House panel freezes three Sugbu-ak bills

The three bills, creating three more provinces out of the present Cebu, has been "frozen" at the House committee on local government for failure to comply with the technical requirements, according to Cebu City south district Rep. Antonio Cuenco.

Cuenco said the committee, headed by Negros Oriental Rep. Emilio Macias, can no longer proceed with the hearing of the bills until all the defects are corrected.

The bills, converting each of the three districts of Cebu into separate provinces, were sponsored by Cebu Reps. Simeon Kintanar (second dist.), Antonio Yapha (third dist.), and Clavel Martinez (fourth dist.).

Opposition to these bills later dubbed these as the "Sugbu-ak" bills, in deference to their effect of breaking up Cebu into several provinces.

During the deliberations, Cuenco questioned Macias for "premature" action on the bills by undertaking the hearing despite the bill's deficiencies. He cited House rules barring the panel to act on bills that are lacking in requirements.

Cuenco then moved and succeeded in postponing the consideration of the bills until these comply with the requirements, including the technical description.

Cuenco said the technical description is a requirement, as stipulated in Article 9 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Local Government Code.

Article 9 provides that, "interested municipalities or component cities shall submit the petition, in the form of a resolution, of their respective councils requesting the creation of a new province to the Congress, and furnish copies thereof to the provincial board of the original province or provinces."

Cuenco said Macias could not show one petition from any municipality of any of the three districts being sought for conversion into a province.

This alone was proof that each of the bills was deficient, said Cuenco. "Na stuck-up, na frozen sa committee, wa kalihok (the bills could not move)," he said.

To this date, the sponsors of the bills have yet to comply also with the checklist for the creation of a new province, as required by the committee affairs department, the committee technical support service, and the general government cluster of the House, said Cuenco.

The checklist included the P20 million average annual income, 250,000 population, and at least 2,000-square kilometers in area, among other documentary requirements.

Cuenco said there are also requirements in presenting these documents to the panel. The documents should be prepared in book-bound form, complete with table of contents and proper labeling of every item contained in the checklist. - Fred P. Languido