A move at the city council to urge the city’s two representatives in congress to facilitate the enactment of a law to create a third congressional district for the city failed to master a majority vote.
Political pundits claim that what was interesting here is the rumor that the one who raised the negative vote and thus prevented the people of Zamboanga from having a third voice in congress is not even an elected member of that august body by the boulevard.
How can a single vote stop seven proponents of the proposal? The answer was quite simple and the strategy beautiful or shall we say- deceitful.
Seven other councilors decided to abstain and refrain from voting for or in behalf of the people. By this simple act of omission they allowed one single vote to prevail over seven of their honorable members - voted into office by the people - who wanted their constituents to have their fair share of representation in national government.
The people of Zamboanga are entitled by law to have a third representative in Congress. The law requires a population of 250,000 to comprise a congressional district.
The population of Zamboanga at the latest count is more than 770,000 inhabitants. By the simple expediency of dividing 770,000 by 250,000 we get the number 3 or three districts. The remaining population of 70,000 can go join the BJE if they so desire.
The salary that will be used to pay a third representative in congress will not come from the executive budget for Zamboanga. The pork barrel to support the expenditures or the kitty of a congressional district will not come from the pockets of the seven abstaining councilors.
What prompted some of the councilors to betray the interests of the people of Zamboanga to have an additional lobbyist for the city in Manila?
People have long insisted that the city council is a separate entity from city hall. People have also been saying - with no proofs - that some in the city council are mere puppets of unseen hands that try to dictate the future and fortunes of the people of Zamboanga.
People say that the unseen hands that manipulate some of our lawmakers are afraid of losing political clout on the legislative body. A third congressional district will mean another set of councilors for the city council. This will mean additional expenses to keep them in line.
As for some lawmakers, it is easier to please those unseen hands than the people who place them where they do not belong.
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2 comments:
I rather push for Zamboanga City for Greater Autonomy.
Under the new government I.e. Federal-Parliamentary Republic of the Philippines, Zamboanga City, the former REPÚBLICA DE ZAMBOANGA deserves to have her own STATE and which I favored to be called as the "State of Zamboanga Titular Republic" or in Zamboangueño "Estado de República Titular Zamboanga".
Idioms Official: Zamboangueño/Chavacano
Idiomas Co-Officiales: Subano, Sama
And No more Imposition of the language of the Tagalog Ethnic in the Zamboangueño Nation.
Las Propuestas:
(1) Estado de Zamboanga Hermosa
(2) Zamboangueño Federal State
(3) Región Administrativa Especial de Zamboanga
(4) Estado de República Titular de Zamboanga
Fuentes: https://m.facebook.com/pg/CIudadZamboangaEstadoPolitica/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1120964577961558&ref=page_internal
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