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[av_heading heading=’‘RESURRECT NIR’ Pro-Du30 group seeks Negros Region revival ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
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Sunday, October 22, 2017
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BACOLOD City – A pro-Duterte group is seeking the revival of the Negros Island Region that President Rodrigo Duterte abolished in August citing budgetary constraints.
The Task Force Kasanag (TFK) national commander John Chiong said he would urge the President, who is gracing today’s MassKara Festival, to reconsider his decision.
TFK is a civil society organization supportive of Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs, crimes, corruption, and terrorism.
Chiong said the President could issue another executive order rescinding the one that abolished NIR.
If reviving NIR is not possible, TFK would press for the establishment of a Negros federal state should the Duterte administration succeed in changing the country’s form of government to federal, said Chiong.
TFK is supportive of the President’s federalism campaign.
President Duterte is expected to arrive at the Bacolod Public Plaza for the MassKara Festival around 5:30 p.m. today. Among those welcoming him are Negros Occidental governor Alfredo Marañon Jr., a staunch advocate of NIR; Mayor Evelio Leonardia and Cong. Greg Gasataya of this city, MassKara 2017 Queen Fercy Lyn Almaiz, and Deputy Commissioner Jesus Clint Aranas of the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
According to Chiong, one of the most practical benefits of NIR was the Negrenses’ easy access to regional government offices.
They do not have to go anymore to Iloilo City in the case of those from Negros Occidental, or to Cebu City in the case of those from Negros Oriental, he explained.
October last year, President Duterte graced the opening of MassKara Festival. He received a warm welcome from residents and officials of this city and Negros Occidental despite the uncertainty on NIR’s continued existence.
Ten months after, on Aug. 7, 2017 Duterte’s Executive Order (EO) No. 38 rescinded President Benigno Aquino III’s EO No. 183 that merged the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental into one region on May 29, 2015.
“The provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental shall revert to Region 6 and Region 7, respectively,” Section 1 of Duterte’s EO read.
Duterte also abolished regional offices for the NIR created under Memorandum Circular No. 81 (series of 2015).
All existing personnel of these regional government offices have returned to their previous units of deployment, or reassigned to other offices within their respective departments or agencies.
Duterte said a “substantial appropriation” was needed to jumpstart the full operation of the NIR but there was none at the moment.
“There is a need to ensure that priority government programs and projects are sufficiently funded,” stressed the President.
EO 38 directed the Department of Interior and Local Government to supervise the reversion of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental provinces to Regions 6 and 7, respectively.
“The establishment of regional offices of departments and agencies in the NIR requires substantial appropriation to be fully operational, thus competing with government priority programs and projects for funding,” according to Duterte.
The NIR was aimed at further accelerating social and economic development of the cities and municipalities comprising the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental and improving delivery of public services in the two provinces.
Sen. JV Ejercito, a Duterte ally and whose mother Gia Gomez had roots in Silay City, Negros Occidental, said “the President may not have been briefed properly” on the NIR.
Ejercito supported NIR’s creation.
“The Negros Island Region would have made the operations of national offices more convenient for both Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental,” he told Panay News.
Duterte ally Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said he would work for the re-establishment of NIR.
The senator’s father, Gov. Jose Maria Zubiri of Bukidnon, is a native of Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental./PN
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