• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said yesterday that he is leaving it to the Supreme Court (SC) to decide on the petition to nullify Republic Act (RA) 12000 or the Negros Island Region (NIR) Act.
In the law signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in June this year, the NIR comprises Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.
“It’s a free country. Anybody can file a petition before the SC when they want to. But it will be up to the SC to decide, what is best, and how to treat that petition,” Lacson said.
A group of Negros Oriental and Siquijor residents led by Rev. Fr. Hendrix Alar filed a petition for the issuance of a temporary restraining order from the SC, claiming that the creation of NIR was illegal, as it was not submitted to the people through a plebiscite nor was a public consultation held.
Stressing that the required procedures have been strictly followed, Negros Oriental Gov. Manuel Sagarbarria as well as Negros lawmakers Mercedes Alvarez, Emilio Bernardino Yulo and Jocelyn Limcaichong have also defended the formulation and approval of RA 12000.
The NIR Internal Rules and Regulations is now being readied for signing by Lacson, Sagarbarria, Siquijor Gov. Jake Vincent Villa and Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr.
“Many are saying that NIR is good for the three provinces contrary to claims,” Lacson said.
Sagarbarria earlier disputed claims of insufficient public consultations, stating that the rebirth of the NIR only involved adding the island-province of Siquijor to the previously established NIR.
He also said that public consultations had taken place before the initial creation of NIR by the late President Benigno Simeon Aquino III through Executive Order No. 183.
Alvarez said that the purpose of creating the NIR is more of efficiently bringing services from the national government to the people.
Yulo pointed out that there is “no substantial issue to stop the implementation of the NIR.” | GB
