Friday, October 14, 2016
MARCHEL P. ESPINA

SILAY CITY – Negros Occidental Third District Representative Alfredo Benitez said Thursday the looming dissolution of Negros Island Region (NIR) has nothing to do with politics.

“I don’t think it’s political, it’s more on the (proposed) federalism,” the lawmaker said, adding that he doesn’t think the administration is testing the loyalty of the elected officials here.

Benitez added: “I don’t believe they’re doing this because this is a province where Secretary Mar (Roxas) won and that his opponent in the last election is giving us a hard time. I don’t think that there’s that kind of attitude from this administration.”

He said there are some discussions with the administration people, and that “they still value Negros. They know this is a vote-rich province.”

“It makes sense that if they are after a political objective, it is better to get us on their side,” he added.

“Let’s look at it from where we are right now. There are talks to dissolve NIR but that doesn’t happen. My thinking is that it is being held in abeyance for federalism. When we talk about federalism, we may have to re-cluster all the regions,” Benitez explained.

He added that it would be useless to create regions that would be replaced by another federal state.

Benitez also said that joining a political party and endorsing the programs in the province are two different things.

“Being part of PDP-Laban may have some weight. I’m not sure if that weight is enough to convince the President to approve NIR. He is not actually dissolving it. He’s just saying ‘let’s wait for federal form of government before we tackle the issue.’ I think that is his (the President’s) stand, the way I understand it,” he added.

Former president Benigno Aquino III signed the executive order creating NIR on May 29, 2015, through the endorsement of former Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, whose presidential bid in the May 9 polls was backed by majority of the officials in Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental.

Prior to the establishment of NIR, Negros Occidental belonged to Western Visayas, or Region 6, and Negros Oriental with Central Visayas, or Region 7.

Two weeks ago, around 200 officials in Negros Occidental led by Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. swore in with the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas Ng Bayan (PDP-Laban). Benitez had joined the administration party weeks after the elections.

Early this week, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno said that NIR will be repealed and that the EO abolishing the region is now awaiting for the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte.

NIR was not included in the 2017 national budget. Its funding is still with its previous regions.