Senate oks Cotabato third district

The Senate today approved on final reading a bill which seeks to create a third legislative district in Cotabato.

House Bill No. 4111, also known as the "Reapportioning of the Province of Cotabato into three Legislative Districts" was sponsored by Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government.

It was approved with 16 affirmative votes, 0 negative vote and 0 abstention. It passed second reading before the Senate adjourned its Second Regular Session last June 6, 2012. Senator Panfilo Lacson, who filed a counterpart bill in the Senate, said Senate Bill 2945 proposed to reapportion the Province of North Cotabato from the present two legislative districts into three districts.

"The province of North Cotabato had a population of 1,121,974. However, there are only two legislative districts in North Cotabato. It is therefore clearly underrepresented in the House of Representatives," Lacson said.

Based on the geographical and population requirements of the Constitution, Lacson said, the first district is comprised of the municipalities of Pikit, Pigkawayan, Alamada, Libungan, Midsayap and Aleosan.

The second district is comprised of the municipalities of Makilala, Magpet, Kidapawan, Roxas, Antipas and Arakan while the third district will be comprised of the municipalities of Banisilan, Carmen, Kabacan, Matalam, Matang and Tulunan.

Lacson said the creation of an additional district is "in the interest of proper democratic and proportional representation." (Pilar Macrohon, PRIB)