NIR will promote efficient delivery of gov’t services: Solons

Contrary to the claims of its oppositors, the creation of the Negros Island Region (NIR) is aimed for the “efficient delivery of government services”, an author of the law that created the new administrative region said Monday.

Negros Occidental Rep. Mercedes Alvarez-Lansang (6th district) said that the NIR is not a new region nor a new government unit.

“Give it a chance. Allow it to be implemented,” Alvarez said, adding that ‘”all we want is that the services of the national government will be more efficient.”

She added that they did not create new political positions and a new LGU.

“We followed all procedures. No need for a plebiscite. It is only the administrative aspect of government,” Alvarez, a lawyer by profession, added.

Her fellow representative, Emilio Bernardino (5th district), said believes that there is “no substantial issue to stop the implementation of the NIR.”

Both Alvarez and Yulo are co-authors of Republic Act 12000 that created the NIR.

They are among the 11 solons of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siqujior, as well as Abang Lingkod Rep. Stephen Joseph Paduano who co-authored the creation of NIR, which was signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in June this year.

On Friday last week, petitioners Rev. Fr. Hendrix Alar, Lina Eparwa, Wilfredo Magallano, Marcelino Maxino, Jose Imaculado Palmitos, and Grace Sumalpong filed a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court, claiming that the creation of NIR was illegal, as it was not submitted to the people through a plebiscite, nor was a public consultation held.

The petitioners argued that the NIR must be declared unconstitutional because it runs contrary to the Ordinance appended to the 1987 Constitution.

The Ordinance appended to the Constitution apportions the seats of the House of Representative to the different legislative districts in provinces and cities. Thus, the provinces and cities were identified and grouped into regions, they said.

“Considering that Regions VI and VII have already been defined in the Ordinance, which, together with the Constitution, has been ratified by the people in a plebiscite, the creation of the NIR cannot simply be accomplished without significant difficulty. There is no NIR in the Ordinance appended to the Constitution,” the petitioners added.

“The primacy of the fundamental law was flagrantly violated and the people were deprived of their fundamental rights to suffrage and information,” the petitioners said.

Both Yulo and Alvarez also said that they respect the rights of petitioners to seek the help of the Supreme Court if they believe it is “unconstitutional.”

However, Yulo maintained that there was a consultation, while NIR was being deliberated in Congress, with the presence of representatives of three provinces.

“There is no law requiring a plebiscite in creating an administrative region, except in the creation or settlement of boundaries among local government units,” Yulo, also a lawyer, said.

Negros Oriental Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria said he understands the sentiments of petitioners, and he respects it.

There was insufficient public consultation, stating that the rebirth of the NIR only involved adding the island-province of Siquijor to the previously established NIR, he added.

He also said that public consultations had taken place before the initial creation of NIR by the late President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, through Executive Order No. 183, although when he was succeeded by Rodrigo Road Duterte, NIR was dissolved.

Negros Occidental previously belonged to Western Visayas (Region VI) and Negros Oriental and Siquijor to Central Visayas (Region VII).

The bill seeking the creation of the NIR was authored by all of the representatives of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.

The establishment of NIR regional offices in Negros Occidental and Oriental has started and the new region is expected to be fully operational by 2025.* (EYA)