The creation of a new legislative district in Iloilo City is “necessary,” according to Representative Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda.
Baronda filed House Bill 3074 or An Act Reapportioning the Lone Legislative District and the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Iloilo.
“An additional representative for the Ilonggos would mean an enhanced representation of their interest thereby ensuring the immediate delivery of public services to them,” she said.
“This way, the district representative will be more efficient in attending to the concerns of his/her now fewer constituents,” the neophyte lawmaker added.
The move, Baronda said, would also “mean a significant boost of the national government support in favor of Iloilo City.”
Under the bill, the First Legislative Distrist will be composed of Jaro, La Paz, and Mandurriao while the Second Legislative District will be composed of City Proper, Molo, Arevalo and Lapuz.
According to Baronda, the creation of the new legislative district “complies with all the requirements of the law.”
“There is no exact number of additional inhabitants that is necessary to create a new legislative district,” she said.
Baronda cited a portion of the Supreme Court decision in the case of Aquino vs. COMELEC, which read: “Section 5(3), Article VI of the Constitution requires a city to have a minimum population of 250, 000 to be entitled to a representative, it does not have to increase its population by another 250,000 to be entitled to an additional district.”
“This was also the case of the city of Marikina which was granted two legislative districts. Passed in 2006, Republic Act 9363 reappportioned Marikina City into two new legislative districts even though its combined population was only 424, 150,” she said.
Iloilo City, as of August 1, 2015, has a population of 447, 992, Baronda noted.
The bill states that the two legislative districts will commence in the next national elections after the effectivity of the Act.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) will be composed of vice mayor as the presiding officer and seven members per district.
The president of the city chapter of the Liga ng Mga Barangay, the president of the Panlungsod na Pederasyon ng mga Sangguniang Sangguniang Kabataan, and other sectoral representatives will sit as ex-officio members.
The incumbent representative and members of the SP sill continue to hold office until new representatives and SP members are elected.
Iloilo Fifth District Representative Raul “Boboy” Tupas, Iloilo Second District Representative Michael Gorriceta, and Abang Lingkod Representative Joseph Stephen Paduano co-athured the bill.IMT
PHOTO CREDITS: Randy Javier Fadrigo
