LRay: Comelec giving special treatment to proposed province

MANILA, Philippines - Camarines Sur Gov. LRay Villafuerte yesterday questioned what he described as “special treatment” on the proposed creation of Nueva Camarines by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

In a statement, Villafuerte questioned the willingness of the Comelec to set a new period for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) “in case it comes into existence without setting a definite deadline.”

Villafuerte had written Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes who he said gave this assurance in a letter dated Oct. 29 to Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., chairman of the Senate local government committee.

In his letter, the governor complained that while the Comelec was willing to make an adjustment for the proposed Nueva Camarines, it could not do the same for Camarines Sur.

“The Senate has not even passed the bill on second reading and is not even in the agenda. By all indications, the Senate is focused on the proposed 2013 national budget and the sin tax bill, not to mention the RH (Reproductive Health) bill and amendments to the AMLA (Anti-Money Laundering Act). When will it still have the time to act on the Nueva Camarines bill? Would there even be time for a plebiscite?” he said.

Villafuerte said the Comelec should be “very realistic and set a definite and non-extendable deadline if it intends to open the filing of COCs in the event the new province is created, if it would even pass muster.”

He warned that “several problems” could crop up, including the possibility that there would be only eight candidates for provincial board members, instead of 10.

Under the proposal, Nueva Camarines would be carved out of Camarines Sur.

“In such an event, this would be in conflict with the Local Government Code as well as Administrative Order 270, which is the law’s implementing rules and regulations. The former provides that first and second-class provinces shall have 10 provincial board members, while the latter mandates that the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan shall be elected by legislative districts,” he added.