ON THE CITYHOOD OF NAVOTAS
A PRIVILEGE SPEECH OF SENATOR JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA

Mr. President, my fellow senators, today, we should be rejoicing and celebrating with the people of navotas. But sadly, we are not.

If my calculation is correct, today should have marked the birth of a new city, the city of navotas. By now, the measure converting the municipality of navotas into a city should have already been approved into law. But unfortunately, this is not the case.

Mr. President, this representation is referring to house bill no. 5500, which proposes the creation of the city of navotas.

After introducing several significant amendments, the senate concurred with this bill which originated from the house of representatives. The senate version of house bill no. 5500 is contained in committee report no. 105 submitted by our committee on local governments, chaired by senator alfredo lim. This committee report was approved by this chamber on third reading on october 12 of this year.

On november 8 and 13, 2006, the bicameral conference committee convened to discuss the disagreeing provisions of house bill no. 5500.

Last november 14, the bicameral conference committee report on house bill no. 5500 was filed in the senate. On the same day, it was read into the records by senator fred lim, who chaired the senate panel in the bicameral conference committee.

At the house of representatives, however, the said report surprisingly faced strong opposition from congressman federico sandoval ii, who is the incumbent representative of the legislative district of malabon-navotas. At his instance, the bicameral conference committee report was referred to the house committee on rules on november 27, 2006.

Up to now, the measure is still pending with the house committee on rules. And by all indications, the bill will remain with the house committee on rules until the thirteenth congress ends.

Mr. President, the details of how exactly the bicameral conference committee report was eventually referred to the house committee on rules, or how the issue will be finally resolved by the house of representatives, is not our concern.

I am invoking my personal and collective privilege, not to criticize the entire lower chamber, but to speak out on behalf of the people of navotas, in condemning and denouncing, in the strongest possible terms, the blocking and delaying tactics being employed by congressman ricky sandoval against the swift enactment of this very important legislative measure.

Sa madaling salita po, ginoong pangulo, garapalan na at walang pakundangang hinaharang at ginigipit ni congressman ricky sandoval ang pagiging lungsod ng bayan ng navotas sa hindi malamang dahilan. Hindi po natin maaaring basta na lamang palampasin ang ganitong uri ng pagmamalabis sapagkat ang kapakanan ng mga mamamayan ng navotas ang nakataya dito.

Sa aking pagtayo ngayong hapon, nais ko po lamang bigyan ng tinig ang mga mamamayan ng navotas na ngayon ay tahimik na nagtitimpi kahit na matagal na nilang minimithi ang pagiging syudad ng kanilang bayan.

Hindi ko po nais na punahin ang mababang kapulungan sapagkat sila ay may hiwalay na pamamaraan sa pagsasabatas ng nasabing panukala na dapat nating igalang. Subalit hindi naman po tayo maaaring magsawalang kibo na lamang sa ganitong uri ng kalabisan ng isang mambabatas.

Ironically, congressman sandoval is the principal author of house bill no. 5500. After all, he is the incumbent representative of the present legislative district of malabon- navotas. He is expected to push for the immediate passage of this bill.

But why is congressman sandoval, the primary author of this measure, now blocking the cityhood of navotas? Bakit nya ngayon hinahadlangan ang panukalang batas na sya ang may akda?

The answer lies in section 58 of the proposed law, which was amended by the senate, and concurred in by the house contingent during the bicameral conference committee meeting held on november 13, 2006.

Section 58 of house bill no. 5500, as approved by the senate panel and the house of representatives panel in the bicameral conference, states:

legislative district. the city of navotas shall have its own legislative district with the first representative to be elected in the next national elections after the effectivity of this act (meaning house bill no. 5500). Until such time, the city of navotas shall continue to be represented by the incumbent representative in the house of representatives.

For emphasis, may i repeat that this is the senate version of section 58, which has been adopted and approved by both the panels of the senate and the house of representatives during the bicameral conference committee meeting.

This representation, together with our panel chairman, senator lim, and senators juan flavier and ramon magsaysay jr., were present when this version was adopted and approved last november 13.

On the part of the house of representatives, their acting panel chairman, congressman del de guzman, together with congressmen benjamin abalos jr. And luis asistio, were present during the deliberations, and they unanimously adopted and approved the senate version of section 58.

Senator serge osmena, and congressmen emilio macias ii and francis escudero, later affixed their signatures on the conference committee report.

For his part, congressman sandoval was present during the november 8 meeting, but for unknown reasons, he was absent during the november 13 meeting, despite being duly notified. Be that as it may, he has made known his position on section 58 to both the senate and the house contingents.

Why is section 58 so important to congressman sandoval? Ano ba ang meron sa section 58 ng panukalang batas at ito ngayon ay hinaharang ni congressman sandoval? Ano ba ang dahilan kung bakit nya gustong pahirapan ang mga mamamayan ng navotas sa kabila na batid nya na itong pagiging syudad ng kanilang bayan ang maluwat na nilang hinihintay?

Mr. President, my dear colleagues, for your information, this is the version of section 58 that congressman sandoval wants to be inserted in the proposed law:

legislative district. the city of navotas shall have its own legislative district with the first representative to be elected within two months following the next congressional elections after the effectivity of this act (meaning house bill no. 5500). Until such time, the city of navotas shall continue to be represented by the incumbent representative in the house of representatives.

Anyone who will read this proposed insertion of congressman sandoval would naturally ask him the reason or justification for holding a separate special election two months after the regular elections.

Everyone will logically ask him: why not hold the election for the new legislative district of navotas simultaneously with the next regular elections?

Isnt his suggestion more costly for the government? Clearly, it is.

Isnt this arrangement unfair to the candidates who will be campaigning in the malabon-navotas district in the regular elections? And then after just two months, the new legislative district of navotas will be taken away from the winner, as the special election is held.

Kahit sino po ang makabasa ng gustong igiit ni congressman sandoval ay magugulat at magtataka. Bakit pa hiwalay ang halalan para sa bagong distrito ng navotas? Bakit hindi pa isabay sa susunod na halalang pang-kongreso? At bakit dalawang buwan lamang ang pagitan ng regular na halalan at ng hiwalay na halalan para sa bagong distrito?

naturally, the entire bicameral conference committee rejected his proposed insertion. There is absolutely no valid justification or plausible explanation for such an electoral arrangement being proposed by congressman sandoval.

During the first bicameral conference committee meeting, which was held on november 8, 2006, congressman sandoval was present. But he gave no official explanation or justification for his proposed insertion. Instead, he asked for an executive session so that his justification and reasons will not appear on record.

The reason of congressman sandoval, however, is quite obvious, even if the same is not on record and cloaked by the executive session privilege.

I cannot elaborate because i was present during the executive session, and i cannot publicly disclose matters discussed during executive sessions.

However, it is of public knowledge that he is on his third and last term as a congressman. This is his third consecutive term, and according to the constitution, he is expressly prohibited from running for a fourth consecutive term.

No executive session can hide the fact that he can no longer run for re-election as congressman for the legislative district of malabon-navotas in the next regular election. But perhaps in a subsequent special election, such as the one being proposed in the insertion he wanted in section 58, he could be permitted to run again, this time, in the newly created legislative district of navotas.

This appears to be his gambit. He is hoping to become congressman again within two months after the end of this third and final term. Clearly, this is an insidious, if not an immoral, attempt on his part to circumvent the constitutional prohibition.

Mr. President, what i am voicing here are the suspicions and speculations of people who are not present during the executive session. I am just ventilating them out. Basang-basa nila ang galaw ni congressman sandoval. Maliwanag pa sa sikat ng araw.

Ako po ay nananawagan kay congressman federico sandoval ii na isulong na sa lalung madaling panahon ang batas na gagawing syudad ang bayan ng navotas sapagkat ito ang ninanasa ng mga mamamayan nito.

If he refuses to do so, then i challenge him to present and submit, and place on record, his written justification and explanations for his proposed insertion in section 58 of house bill no. 5500.

Congressman sandoval, we demand that you thoroughly explain to your constituents, why you want a separate special election for the new legislative district of navotas, to be held within two months after the regular congressional elections.

Why do you want to conceal your real intention for your proposed version of section 58? Why hide them behind an executive session? The people of navotas, your constitutents, deserve to know.

Why are you now hindering the passage of the law on the cityhood of navotas? Is it because the bicameral conference committee has rejected your proposed insertion?

Bakit ikaw na ngayon ang mismong humaharang sa batas na iyong panukala? Hindi ba katakataka ang iyong ikinikilos? Hindi ba dapat ay magpaliwanag ka sa iyong mga nasasakupan sa navotas?

Gusto mo bang maging congressman muli kahit alam mo na nasa ikatlo at huling termino ka na? Nais mo bang tumakbo bilang congressman ng bagong distrito ng navotas, kung kayat gusto mo ng hiwalay na halalan dalawang buwan makalipas ang regular na halalang pang-kongreso?

Congressman sandoval, kung sakaling makarating sa iyong pandinig ang aking mga pananalita, hindi ka ba natatakot na isumpa ka ng ating mga kasamahan sa navotas sa dahilang kitang-kita nila na ang iyong mga kilos at galaw ay para lamang sa iyong sakim at mga pang-sariling kapakanan sa pulitika.

Sana naman ay huwag mo nang idamay ang walang kinalalamang mga mamamayan ng navotas na patuloy na maghihirap sapagkat ipinagkakait mo ang kanilang minimithing kaunlaran sa pamamagitan ng pagiging syudad ng kanilang bayan.

Congressman sandoval, i know that, in the end, your decisions and actions will be guided by what is good for the greater majority of our people, most especially for the people of navotas. Alam ko na may puso, isip at konsensya ka rin.

Hindi maipagkakaila na ikaw, congressman ricky sandoval, ang pangunahing may-akda at nagtulak ng batas na nagtatatag ng isang bagong lungsod, ang lungsod ng navotas. Ito ay mauukit sa kasaysayan ng ating bayan, at maging sa isip at puso ng mga mamamayan ng navotas.

Congressman sandoval, this is your lasting legacy to the people of navotas. Dont waste this once in a life-time opportunity. Show the filipino people that you can rise above your petty and selfish ambitions.

Mr. President, my fellow senators, the law on the cityhood of navotas is one of our collective legacies to its citizens. Let us not deny them their aspirations.

Let us therefore convey the sense of the senate to the house of representatives that it is imperative for us to finally pass this measure into law and fulfill the dreams of the people of navotas.

Maraming salamat po.