Mabulo Hits Move to Reapportion Camarines Sur

NAGA CITY-Mayor Fermin Mabulo of San Fernando, Camarines Sur said the proposal to carve a new district out of the first district of Camarines Sur was a political move meant to accommodate Budget and Management Secretary Rolando Andaya and Representative Dato Arroyo.

"I am not against any effort to reapportion the province of Camarines Sur or to create new districts. I am only questioning the motive," said Mabulo.

Fermin was the younger brother of Sabas Mabulo who ran against Arroyo in 2007 elections. He was also former member of the Magdalo group of renegade soldiers who staged the so called Oakwood mutiny in 2003.

He said creating a new congressional district in Camarines Sur to accommodate Andaya and Arroyo would be unfair to Cavite, Panagasinan, and all other provinces seeking to have additional congressional districts.

But Sipocot Mayor Ma. Theresa Dela Peña said the issue should be not anymore who would serve as representatives but if the reapportioning would be beneficial or not.

Meanwhile, Del Gallego Mayor Bayani Veluz said the reapportioning of Camarines Sur especially the first district would be beneficial to his town, which he said had been left out for long because "it is the town farthest from the government center of the province and Naga City."

He said if the first district would be reapportioned, it would mean his town would finally be prioritized because their congressman would have fewer towns to take care of.

He said he would support the reapportioning because it would initiate economic growth in their town, which he said had been affected negatively by out-migration of residents due to its economic situation.

Del Gallego, a fourth class municipality, lies in the border of Camarines Sur with Quezon province.

"Del Gallego is a large town but is being overlooked. We expect that the reapportioning of the first district would change this," added Veluz.

Earlier, Camarines Sur Gov. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said he was opposing the creation of another congressional district in the province.

Villafuerte said his opposition was based on a solid legal argument and was intended so the interests of the province would not be sacrificed on the "altar of political horse-trading."

He also said that his opposition to the reapportioning of Camarines Sur should not affect the similar proposal to divide Camarines Norte into two new congressional districts. He said each bill should be taken separately.

This he said in reaction to a statement of Camarines Norte Representative Liwayway Vinzons-Chato, who said her proposal to create a new district in her province was being held hostage by opposition the Camarines Sur reapportioning bill.