The president of the Negros Oriental Chamber of Commerce & Industry said the arguments of two groups seeking to nullify the law that created the Negros Island Region have been debunked.
Businessman Edward Du said the arguments presented by the groups Barug Negros Oriental and Tingog Siquijodnon in their petition to the Supreme Court have been answered point by point in two of their open letters to President Marcos that they had published in this newspaper in June this year.
Du said he is aware, however, the legal process requires that the Supreme Court would have to answer both groups’ petition.
He said NOCCI will leave it up to the Supreme Court to decide on the petition questioning the legality of Republic Act 12000, the law that created NIR.
Du echoed the statements made by Bacolod City Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, and Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson to let the highest court of the land resolve the petition.
“Let’s leave it to the Supreme Court to decide on the legal concerns, and the clarifications on the issues they have raised. The government will defend and answer all queries at a proper time,” Congressman Gasataya, one of the co-authors of RA 12000, said in an interview in Bacolod.
The petitioners from Negros Oriental and Siquijor, led by Rev. Fr. Hendrix Alar, sought the issuance of a Temporary Restraining Order, claiming that the creation of NIR was illegal as it was neither submitted to the people through a plebiscite, nor was a public consultation held.
Signed by President Marcos Jr. on June 13, RA 12000 created an administrative region comprising Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.
The NIR Act separates Negros Occidental from Western Visayas (Region 6), and Negros Oriental and Siquijor from Central Visayas (Region 7).
Bacolod Mayor Benitez said the groups in Negros Oriental who support the NIR should continue to explain the benefits for the people under the new region.
“Maybe (those against it) just lack information on what will happen under the NIR. It’s up to the Supreme Court to make the decision, to decide on the merits of the case,” he added.
On Tuesday, Negros Occidental Governor Lacson said anybody could file a petition before the Supreme Court “but it will be up to it to decide what is best, and how to treat that petition.”
The NIR technical working group has completed the internal rules and regulations for the approval by Lacson, Negros Oriental Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria, Siquijor Gov. Jake Vincent Villa, and Interior Se. Benjamin Abalos Jr.
In signing the NIR Act into law, the President said the new region would be a “bulwark of greater growth” and a “conduit” for more effective and efficient delivery of essential services for its people. (Alex Pal with PNA report)
