There is nothing unusual or even unconstitutional in the creation of a new legislative district in Camarines Sur through the recently signed Republic Act 9716 as this is part of Congress’ legislative mandate, Speaker Prospero C. Nograles said as he noted that Sen. Benigno Aquino III’s move to question the new law before the Supreme Court is “denying the mandate of the majority of the people in the new constituency.”
“The affected constituency should be the first to have opposed the move that would have grave consequences on their future. The bill followed the process just like all the other laws that Congress passed and signed into law by the President,” the Speaker pointed out.
Nograles also said that claims made by presidential aspirant Sen. Aquino that the re-districting of Camarines Sur was made to accommodate the political plans of presidential son Camarines Sur Rep. Dato Arroyo is not only unfair but also patently inaccurate because for one, he was elected as congressman even before the re-districting measure was even filed in Congress.
“How can this be an accommodation for Dato? He still has two terms left as 1st district congressman, so it is absolutely malicious to say that the creation of the new legislative district was meant to accommodate him. He can still run and win in Camarines Sur even without RA 9716,” Nograles said.
Nograles stressed that RA 9716 was enacted into law with the approval of the Senate and Sen. Aquino had all the time and opportunity to block the measure when it was still under deliberation.
“Noynoy should have fought tooth and nail to oppose the measure while it was still in the Senate, instead of going to the Supreme Court. The Senate is his turf, not the Supreme Court,” Nograles said.
“Does it mean that Sen. Aquino is questioning the judgment of his peers in the Senate who mostly belong to the opposition like himself?” Nograles asked.
At the same time, Nograles said there is the principle of inter-chamber courtesy which should be considered, noting further, that the new law went through the route, both in the House and in the Senate.
“There must be due courtesy between the House of Representatives and the Senate,” Nograles said, noting that not one iota of opposition was registered during the series of public hearings in the House came from parties in the affected area.
The House leader commented that the entire process is part of what democracy is all about, where the superiority of ideas gain the support of the majority. Losing plenary battles is not unusual, he added.
“When you lose a legislative battle, it is not always advisable to go crying to the Supreme Court” Nograles said.
Nograles also stressed that with a population of about 176,000, the new district is bigger than former Rep. Butch Abad’s (LP campaign manager) tiny Batanes which has less than 20 thousand population
Likewise, he noted that the Camarines Sur district is bigger than Camiguin, Biliran, or Guimaras, and even bigger than San Juan’s population when it was carved out as a separate district in 1995.
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