Robredo: Hold debate first before dividing Palawan
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY—“A debate is needed before the plebiscite on the division of Palawan,” said Vice President Leni Robredo in an ambush interview in this city shortly after her visit in the Southern Luzon Area Business Conference on Friday.
Asked if she’s in favor of the division, the Vice President simply said she was in favor of the plebiscite, “I am in favor of letting the people decide if they are willing or not. There are many opposing views when it comes to that issue but it’s the people who should decide.
“There are many implications, like the security of the place. Not only Palawan but the whole Philippines because Palawan is the gateway,” Robredo said.
She added that all issues needed a debate before the plebiscite “so the people would have a chance to see both sides of the coin so they can decide properly.”
Too big to govern
Robredo said that Palawan was too big to govern and that there was wisdom in the division.
“If you look at the point of view of the provincial government in Palawan, it makes a lot of sense because if you look at the map of Palawan, it is so vast from point to point,” she said.
“The farther the town is away from the center, the harder it is for the government programs to access it. The wisdom of the division is we can give greater attention and focus,” Robredo added.
President Duterte signed early this month Republic Act No. 11259 which seeks to divide Palawan into three provinces.
The law will be presented to the Palawan electorate in a plebiscite on the second Monday of May 2020.
