Quezon residents to vote for or against division of province in October
09/12/2008 | 05:27 PM
LUCENA CITY, Philippines – The potential geographic division of Quezon into two distinct provinces has already split its people, including its politicians, as they wait to vote for or against the law in a plebiscite set for October by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
The controversial law – Republic Act No. 9495, creating Quezon del Sur – has been published in two newspapers of general circulation, a legal requirement, after which it will take effect after 15 days. And after another 60 days, a plebisicite will have to be scheduled.
Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said on Friday that Comelec Chairman Jose Melo had notified him of the decision in a meeting of notify to him the decision while on the meeting of Congress Oversight Committee headed by the solon recently.
Governor Raffy Nantes, known for his one-Quezon drive, has been urging local officials to reject the division.
Those who attended the meeting with Nantes were members of the Sangguniang Panglalawigan led by Vice Governor Carlos Portes and 31 of the 39 town mayors and two city mayors.
Absent from the meeting were third district board members Rommel Edaño and Lourdes De Luna-Pasatiempo – both identified with Nantes's political rival, Suarez – and second district board members Romano Talaga and Vicente Alcala.
Portes, who's also against the division, was said to have given Nantes an assurance that a Provincial Board resolution rejecting the division of the province would be issued.
Nantes announced at the meeting that he had earlier talked about the division issue with former senator and representative Wigberto Tañada, former assemblyman Oscar Santos, and Rep. Proceso Alcala.
The law setting the division lapsed into law in September last year, without the signature of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
It was authored by Governor Nantes (when he was still first district representative), along with his fellow Alcala, Suarez, and Erin Tañada. - GMANews.TV
The controversial law – Republic Act No. 9495, creating Quezon del Sur – has been published in two newspapers of general circulation, a legal requirement, after which it will take effect after 15 days. And after another 60 days, a plebisicite will have to be scheduled.
Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said on Friday that Comelec Chairman Jose Melo had notified him of the decision in a meeting of notify to him the decision while on the meeting of Congress Oversight Committee headed by the solon recently.
Governor Raffy Nantes, known for his one-Quezon drive, has been urging local officials to reject the division.
Those who attended the meeting with Nantes were members of the Sangguniang Panglalawigan led by Vice Governor Carlos Portes and 31 of the 39 town mayors and two city mayors.
Absent from the meeting were third district board members Rommel Edaño and Lourdes De Luna-Pasatiempo – both identified with Nantes's political rival, Suarez – and second district board members Romano Talaga and Vicente Alcala.
Portes, who's also against the division, was said to have given Nantes an assurance that a Provincial Board resolution rejecting the division of the province would be issued.
Nantes announced at the meeting that he had earlier talked about the division issue with former senator and representative Wigberto Tañada, former assemblyman Oscar Santos, and Rep. Proceso Alcala.
The law setting the division lapsed into law in September last year, without the signature of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
It was authored by Governor Nantes (when he was still first district representative), along with his fellow Alcala, Suarez, and Erin Tañada. - GMANews.TV
