MINALABAC, CAMARINES SUR (Mar 16 2012) — Twenty-four mayors supported by their barangay leaders are expected to stage a show of force at the scheduled first public hearing of the bill proposing to divide Camarines Sur and create the new Nueva Camarines province at the Senate Committee on Local Government on March 22 this year.
Minalabac town Mayor and newly installed president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Camarines Sur chapter, Gil Basmayor, confirmed this week that 24 member mayors of the league have signed a resolution in support the division bill and shall appear at the hearing of the Senate Committee on Local Government, chaired by Senator Bongbong Marcos, to show that majority of the 35 mayors of Camarines Sur favor the proposal.
He said, that late last year majority of the LMP members signed a resolution favoring the division of the province in a clear show of stand on the issue.
Earlier, main proponent of the Camarines Sur division bill, 4th district Congressman Arnulfo “Noli” Fuentebella, told the mayors to expect at least two Senate public hearings - one in the Senate and another in Naga City sometime in April this year.
A province-wide plebiscite shall be scheduled after the bill passes the Senate and is signed into law.
However, COMELEC, Election Supervisor for Camarines Sur, Atty Noriel Badiola, told the Sangguniang Panlalawigan last Monday (March 12) that the anticipated plebiscite for the creation of the new Nueva Camarines province may not necessariy take place before the May 2013 local elections. The COMELEC at the moment has no funds for the conduct of this plebiscite, Badiola said.
Badiola said furthemore that the provincial COMELEC office presently has its hands full resolving the mayoral controvery in Siruma and the issue of recall election in Pasacao town.(SONNY SALES)