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BY HERBERT VEGO
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Much ado about Treñas’ ‘redistricting’ bill
READING between the lines, one sees why the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) of Iloilo City passed a resolution endorsing House Bill 1219 – “An Act Reapportioning the Lone District and the Sangguniang Panlungsod of the City of Iloilo” – authored by Rep. Jerry P. Treñas. The SP majority no doubt seeks to avert a clash for the lone congressional seat between “graduating” incumbent Mayor Jed Mabilog and Vice Mayor Jose Espinosa III.
If I am not mistaken, it’s the third time Cong. Jerry has re-filed the same bill. Its failure to pass in 2009 resulted in a bitter fight for the lone seat between hitherto allies Treñas and the late Raul Gonzalez Jr. in 2010, edging out the latter.
It can therefore be rightfully argued that the outgoing congressman, who is expected to run for mayor once again in 2019, does not want the same circumstance repeated, this time between political allies Espinosa and Mabilog who are serving their last terms for vice mayor and mayor, respectively. Otherwise, why would he re-file the bill?
In fairness to the Iloilo City representative, let us forget “political motive” and lend credence to his avowed one, which is to provide our city with ample representations regardless of the same obstacle that derailed the bill in the past. It’s the alleged Constitutional requirement that a lone district could only be split into two if it has a population of 500,000. Based on the 2015 census, Iloilo City has a population of 447,992.
Treñas argues that “the allocation of two legislative districts for a city with a population of less than 500,000 is not without precedence.” There’s a Supreme Court ruling validating the legality of Makati City having two legislative districts despite its residential population of 450,000. Other “Commonwealth-era” cities like Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Zamboanga already have multiple districts regardless of population.
Treñas’ bill proposes to divide the city into First District (including Jaro, La Paz and Mandurriao) and Second District (City Proper, Molo, Arevalo and Lapuz). Espinosa would run in the First District; Mabilog, the Second.
Not too long ago, the snowballing public opinion was that Espinosa, barring the bill turning into law, would surely lose against Mabilog in 2019. Today, however, the emerging opposite view has, as its backdrop, the name of Mabilog etched in President Duterte’s list of narco-politicians.
This writer has a different opinion: Whether the city is redistricted or not, Mayor Jed would not vie for a House seat in 2019. Take it from his palabra de honor.
When then Vice Mayor Mabilog, at age 44, won for mayor against former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. in 2010, I interviewed him for an article. I asked him about his future political plans if he were no longer mayor.
“I will not run for any position after age 50,” he said, and I believed him.
Counting from his birth date (Sept. 20, 1965), Mabilog was within his 50-year bracket when he ran for his third and final mayoral term in May 2016. So now, having turned 51 two weeks ago, he is therefore expected to quit politics after his present term.
Mabilog also told me in the same magazine interview, “A man’s lifetime is too short to waste but long enough to fulfill a mission.”
Presuming the mayor has already hit his ambition as planned, if indeed there’s “political motive” behind Treñas’ bill, then it would not be confined within a dynasty. Minus Mayor Mabilog, it would unfold a vaster playing field for wannabe politicians./PN
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