Creation of Cotabato City congressional district proposed

MANILA, Philippines - Acting on the clamor of residents, a legislator has proposed the creation of a separate congressional district for Cotabato City.

“Although the city has already exceeded the population requirement of 250,000 under the Constitution, it does not have its own representative in the House of Representatives,” Maguindanao 1st District Rep. Bai Sandra Sinsuat Sema said.

Under House Bill 4457, Cotabato City will be separated from the first legislative district of the province of Maguindanao.

Sema said that based on the 2010 census, Cotabato City has a population of 271,786, which is more than enough to qualify for a separate representation in Congress.

She added that a separate representation would help fast track development for both the city and the 11 remaining municipalities of the first district of Maguindanao.

The first district of Maguindanao, excluding Cotabato City is composed of eleven municipalities with a combined population of 423,836 as per said 2010 census.

These municipalities include Barira, Buldon, Datu Blah T. Sinsuat, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Kabuntalan, Matanog, Northern Kabuntalan, Parang, Sultan Kudarat, Sultan Mastura and Upi. 

Under the bill, the incumbent Representative of the first district of Maguindanao shall continue to represent the said district until the new Representative of the lone legislative district of Cotabato City shall have been elected and qualified in the next regular congressional elections.

The bill has been referred to the Committee on Local Government chaired by South Cotabato 1st District Rep. Pedro Acharon Jr. for appropriate consideration and action.

Sema is confident that the measure would be enacted into law during the second regular session of the 16th Congress which opens this July.