Deretsahan
Redistricting plan, lumalabo
By Bebot Villar
ISALI nyo naman kami sa usapan.
Iyan ang clamor ng mga mayors tungkol sa planong re-districting ng Pangasinan. I agree with them. They have to be part of the discussions/public hearings. In two previous public hearings on this issue initiated by the provincial board, ang president ng Pangasinan Mayors League lang ang invited.
When I interviewed Dasol Mayor Noel Nacar, president of the mayors league in my Deretsahan program (aired live every Saturday from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. sa K17 The Kabaleyan Channel ng USATV), he said he was invited in his capacity as president of that group. Hindi nga naman kasalanan ni Mayor Nacar if there were no other mayors dun kasi hindi naman sya ang in-charge sa pag imbita sa kapuwa nya mayors.
But the request of the mayors na nakaka-usap ko, dapat isama sila sa consultation kasi bayan nila ang pwedeng mahiwalay sa kasalukuyang configuration. Sila dapat ang voice of their municipality/city since not many can attend the public hearings being called by the provincial board supposedly to listen to the people’s sentiments.
But honestly, I doubt if this redistricting plan will push through under the present administration. Una, it’s a congressional act. Trabaho yan ng mga congressmen natin. Doon dapat sa Congress tinatalakay ang usaping ito. Who among our congressmen will initiate it samantalang hindi sila receptive to the idea, right now. If they unite to oppose this plan, uuwing luhaan ang mga nagpapakahirap sa move na yan. Sayang lang ang efforts, panahon at perang ginagastos ng provincial board para isulong ang proposal na ito.
Of course I know that the author of the resolution on re-districting, itong si Sixth District Board Member Alfie Bince, has the noblest intention because ang laki laki nga naman ng Pangasinan. Based on the law, for every 250,000 population ay pwede nang maging isang district. Sa Pangasinan ay malapit na nating ma-hit ang 3 million mark so in his view, at least start natin sa additional two districts ay okay na. Also, additional districts mean additional PDAFs…sana.
Secondly, most of our congressmen today ay ayaw sa panukalang ito because ayaw pagalaw ng mga congressmen ang distrito nila. Pwede ba naman ang re-districting na ang gusto ng congressman ay intact ang kanyang district? Paano yun? One or two lang ang affected?
Truth is, sa tagal ng panahon na pare-parehong family name ang nagiging congressman sa isang district ay nade-develop na din talaga pagmamahal nila sa turf nila. Parang naging isang family na sila na ayaw nilang ma-separate from each other. Pero kung panay talo ang isang congressman sa isang town or city, I’m sure parang taong may leprosy ang pakiramdam ng isang congressman to get rid of that certain place. For him/her, re-districting is the answer to his problem.
Thirdly, magkaka-interest pa kaya ang officials natin na ituloy ang proposal na ito gayong no more PDAF/pork barrel ang policy ngayon ng administration? (Wish ko lang talaga sana na PNoy will really the scrap pork barrel to calm the brewing anger ng kapwa Pilipino).
Ayon sa latest news, many in the House of Representatives want to scrap the P27-billion PDAF from the proposed P2.268-trillion national budget for 2014. That means next year, goodbye PDAF na. Mawawala ang P200 million of each senator and P70 million ng bawat congressman although pwede namang magbigay sila ng recommendations for projects. Yon lang.
Based on the statement issued by the House sa pag-scrap ng pork barrel, they insist na sila pa rin daw ang dapat masunod sa implementation sa mga projects kasi itong mga congressmen ang nakakaalam kung ano ang mga priority needs ng mga constituents nila.
(I can already imagine kung paano magiging super powerful itong mga government agencies. Based on talks kung paano humataw sa “SOP” itong mga line agencies na ito ay nakakatakot isipin how much bigger ang “SOP” they will get under the new policy).
But kung wala nang pork, may gana pa kayang kumandidato for senator or congressmen? I doubt that. And kung wala nang pork, magastos pa rin kaya ang election natin? Perhaps hindi na kasi mahirap na nilang bawiin ang kanilang expenses. Wala na or very minimal na ang kanilang “return of Investment”!
When that happens, hurray para sa mga tunay na matatalino, masisipag, at may pusong maglingkod but because of financial constraints ay hindi nabibigyan ng chance to serve. Wala nang masisilaw na mga botante sa bigay na pera ng isang mayaman pero salat naman sa capability at intelligence para maging lawmaker ng bansa o distrito.
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