The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said there will be no election of congressmen in the first and in the newly-created third district of South Cotabato in the May 13 polls.
“In case the position for member, House of Representatives for the First Legislative District, including General Santos City, of South Cotabato is voted upon in the May 13 elections, all votes for the said position shall be considered stray,” said the decision stated in Comelec Resolution No. 10524 promulgated on Thursday.
The poll body said that elections for the representatives of the said districts will be held “within six months” from May 13.
Last March, Congress passed Republic Act No. 11243, which created the third district after General Santos City was removed from the first district.
According to the Comelec, the holding of election of the congressmen for the two districts next month is already impossible since the present configuration of the electoral data for the first district of South Cotabato has already been completed.
“The present configuration can no longer be revised or modified in time for the May 13 elections without jeopardizing the preparations for the election of other positions,” it added.
The poll body noted that the election in the first district and third districts for the positions of Senators, Party-List Representatives, provincial city and municipal offices will be held on May 13.
For the second district, the election for the positions of Senators, Party-List Representatives, Legislative District Representative, provincial city and municipal offices will be held on May 13.
The First Legislative District is composed of Polomolok, Tampakan and Tupi; Second District, the City of Koronadal and the Municipalities of Banga, Lake Sebu, Norala, Santo Niño, Surallah, Tantangan and T’Boli and Third District, the City of General Santos.
It added that the incumbent Representatives of the First and Second Districts will continue until noon of June 30.
Earlier, the Comelec en banc also suspended the election of new representatives for the 1st and 2nd Districts of the province of Southern Leyte.
The order was issued as they already completed preparing for the lone district of the province prior to them being divided through the passing of Republic Act No. 11198.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1067196
Saturday, April 13, 2019
Duterte signs law dividing Palawan into 3 provinces
(UPDATE) - President Rodrigo Duterte has signed a law dividing western Luzon tourist haven Palawan into three distinct and independent provinces.
Under Republic Act No. 11259, the province is now divided into Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur, which shall be the mother province.
"The terrestrial jurisdictions of the newly created provinces shall be within the present metes and bounds of all the municipalities that comprise the respective provinces," the law stated.
Duterte approved the measure on April 5, 2019 and it shall take effect 15 days upon its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general and local circulation.
The creation of the new provinces would require a plebiscite to be held on the second Monday of May 2020 and supervised by the Commission on Elections.
Each province, meanwhile, shall have its legislative districts effective upon the election and qualification of representatives to be held on the second Monday of May 2022.
Under the law, Puerto Princesa City shall have its own legislative district by the same year. Its residents shall not be qualified to vote in the 2020 plebiscite and for candidates in the provincial elective positions.
Incumbent representatives of the present province shall continue to represent their respective legislative districts until new representatives shall have been duly elected, qualified and assumed office.
The House of Representatives passed the measure on Aug. 29, 2018 and then amended by the Senate on Nov. 19, 2018. The House concurred with amendments on Jan. 23, 2019.
The new provinces and localities under them are as follows:
Palawan del Norte:
Palawan Oriental:
Palawan del Sur:
Under Republic Act No. 11259, the province is now divided into Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental and Palawan del Sur, which shall be the mother province.
"The terrestrial jurisdictions of the newly created provinces shall be within the present metes and bounds of all the municipalities that comprise the respective provinces," the law stated.
Duterte approved the measure on April 5, 2019 and it shall take effect 15 days upon its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general and local circulation.
The creation of the new provinces would require a plebiscite to be held on the second Monday of May 2020 and supervised by the Commission on Elections.
Each province, meanwhile, shall have its legislative districts effective upon the election and qualification of representatives to be held on the second Monday of May 2022.
Under the law, Puerto Princesa City shall have its own legislative district by the same year. Its residents shall not be qualified to vote in the 2020 plebiscite and for candidates in the provincial elective positions.
Incumbent representatives of the present province shall continue to represent their respective legislative districts until new representatives shall have been duly elected, qualified and assumed office.
The House of Representatives passed the measure on Aug. 29, 2018 and then amended by the Senate on Nov. 19, 2018. The House concurred with amendments on Jan. 23, 2019.
The new provinces and localities under them are as follows:
Palawan del Norte:
- Taytay (Capital town and seat of government)
- Coron
- Culion
- Busuanga
- Linapacan
- El Nido
Palawan Oriental:
- Roxas (Capital town and seat of government)
- Araceli
- Dumaran
- Cuyo
- Agutaya
- Magsaysay
- Cayancillo
- San Vicente
Palawan del Sur:
- Brooke's Point (Capital town and seat of government)
- Aborlan
- Narra
- Quezon
- Rizal
- Española
- Bataraza
- Balabac
- Kalayaan
Duterte signs law splitting Palawan into 3 provinces
President Duterte has signed into law the measure dividing Palawan into three provinces, namely: Palawan del Norte, Palawan Oriental, and Palawan del Sur.
A copy of Republic Act (RA) 11259 given to Palace reporters, Saturday morning, showed that the measure was signed by Duterte on April 5. It will be effective 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or any newspaper.
Under the law, the province of Palawan del Norte will be composed of the municipalities of Coron, Culion, Busuanga, Linacapan, Taytay and El Nido.
The province of Palawan Oriental, in turn, will be comprised of the municipalities of Roxas, Araceli, Dumaran, Cuyo, Agutaya, Magsaysay, Cayancillo, and San Vicente.
The province of Palawan del Sur, which will be considered as the “mother province,” will be composed of the municipalities of Aborlan, Narra, Quezon, Rizal, Espanola, Brooke’s Point, Bataraza, Balacbac and Kalayaan.
The three provinces will be created depending on the results of a plebiscite in the affected areas. It will be held on the second Monday of May 2020. The election of new elective officials will be held on the second Monday of May 2022 during the national and local elections.
The incumbent representatives of the present province of Palawan shall continue to represent their respective legislative districts until the new ones are elected.
Each of the three new provinces will have a provincial governor, vice governor, Sangguniang Panlalawigan secretary and members, provincial treasurer, assessor, accountant, budget officer, planning and development coordinator, engineer, health officer, administrator, legal officer, agriculturist, social welfare and development officer, veterinarian, and general services officer.
Early on, the proposal to divide Palawan into three provinces met negative criticisms, one coming from Senator Risa Hontiveros who expressed concern that if China has aggressively and arrogantly exerted its claim on the West Philippine Sea, it can now easily conquer the three provinces which are now reduced as small local government units.
Senator Sonny Angara, who endorsed the bill, explained that the proposal was not “motivated by partisan political concerns, nor a gerrymandering exercise.” He said it was appropriate since Palawan is the biggest province in the Philippines in terms of area.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/04/13/duterte-signs-law-splitting-palawan-into-3-provinces/
A copy of Republic Act (RA) 11259 given to Palace reporters, Saturday morning, showed that the measure was signed by Duterte on April 5. It will be effective 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or any newspaper.
Under the law, the province of Palawan del Norte will be composed of the municipalities of Coron, Culion, Busuanga, Linacapan, Taytay and El Nido.
The province of Palawan Oriental, in turn, will be comprised of the municipalities of Roxas, Araceli, Dumaran, Cuyo, Agutaya, Magsaysay, Cayancillo, and San Vicente.
The province of Palawan del Sur, which will be considered as the “mother province,” will be composed of the municipalities of Aborlan, Narra, Quezon, Rizal, Espanola, Brooke’s Point, Bataraza, Balacbac and Kalayaan.
The three provinces will be created depending on the results of a plebiscite in the affected areas. It will be held on the second Monday of May 2020. The election of new elective officials will be held on the second Monday of May 2022 during the national and local elections.
The incumbent representatives of the present province of Palawan shall continue to represent their respective legislative districts until the new ones are elected.
Each of the three new provinces will have a provincial governor, vice governor, Sangguniang Panlalawigan secretary and members, provincial treasurer, assessor, accountant, budget officer, planning and development coordinator, engineer, health officer, administrator, legal officer, agriculturist, social welfare and development officer, veterinarian, and general services officer.
Early on, the proposal to divide Palawan into three provinces met negative criticisms, one coming from Senator Risa Hontiveros who expressed concern that if China has aggressively and arrogantly exerted its claim on the West Philippine Sea, it can now easily conquer the three provinces which are now reduced as small local government units.
Senator Sonny Angara, who endorsed the bill, explained that the proposal was not “motivated by partisan political concerns, nor a gerrymandering exercise.” He said it was appropriate since Palawan is the biggest province in the Philippines in terms of area.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/04/13/duterte-signs-law-splitting-palawan-into-3-provinces/