CEBU, Philippines - The Senate has finally approved the bill creating barangay Banawa-Englis in Cebu City, said Rep. Antonio Cuenco who authored the bill in the House of Representatives.
Cuenco said that after the Senate president and House Speaker would sign the bill it will be submitted to the president for her imprimatur.
He said that after the president signs it into law, it will be published in local and national newspapers for 15 days.
Thereafter, the congressman disclosed that the Comelec can conduct a plebiscite within 30 days where the constituents of Guadalupe will vote if they would allow the split.
Cuenco said that if majority will favor the separation of Banawa and Englis from barangay Guadalupe, then, an election of officials for the new barangay will follow.
But if the constituents will vote against the creation of a new barangay, the congressman said that the bill will die a natural death.
“Mouyon gyud sila kay sila man ang nangayo ana, igo ra man kong nituman sa ilang gipangayo, pero mangampanya ko kay ako man nang bill,” Cuenco said.
Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña reiterated his earlier stand favoring the split of barangay Guadalupe.
Osmeña even said that he is more inclined of dividing the Guadalupe into three more barangays like splitting Banawa from Englis.
He, however, clarified that if the Banawa-Englis proposal can’t get the needed votes from the constituents of Guadalupe, he will again introduce the bill if he gets elected as congressman of the South District in the May 2010 elections.
“Sige na lang, atong ipadayon ang bill pero kung dili ganahan ang mga tawo by two, then I will introduce the bill divided by three,” Osmeña said.
On the other hand, the Banawa-Englis Separation Movement (BESM) has welcomed the development of the proposed measure.
The president of BESM Antonio Dangcalan is hoping that the bill will be finally signed by president Arroyo so that a plebiscite can be conducted.
“I’m so happy gyud kung ma-materialize kay mao man gyud na among gusto pero, if not, then wala mi mahimo,” Dangcalan said.
It was learned that Banawa-Englis residents expressed their sentiments of forming a new barangay for their two sitios.
In connection to this issue, the city council passed an ordinance for the said purpose but due to some hitches it was not implemented.
Cuenco filed House Bill 5234 last year after the city council failed to set the plebiscite for their ordinance splitting barangay Guadalupe. — Elly Bolonos/NLQ (FREEMAN NEWS)