Split Mandaue to preserve 6th district—Biaño

INSTEAD of abandoning the towns of Consolacion and Cordova, lone opposition mayoralty candidate Victor Biaño has a proposal not only to preserve Cebu’s 6th  district but to add another district for the province.

While supporting Mayor Jonas Cortes’s proposal to create a lone district for Mandaue City, Biaño said it would be better if Mandaue City is divided into north and south districts.

It takes an act of Congress as well as a referendum to form a new district, a goal some Mandaue officials have been pushing especially after Lapu-Lapu city was ahead in being declared  a lone district.

Biaño, a former   Mandaue City councilor said Mandaue north could be merged with Consolacion town to form the 6th district while Mandaue City’s south could  be merged with Cordova town to form another district.

This way Mandaue City would have two congressmen in the House of Representatives.

If other districts will adopt Consolacion and Cordova towns, he said Mandaue City can be  converted into a lone district.

Cortes has been lobbying for the creation of a lone congressional district in Mandaue City which is still part of Cebu province.

He complained that Lapu-Lapu City had its own district ahead of Mandaue even if they achieved cityhood status earlier.

Cortes sought the help of 6th district  Rep. Luis “Luigi” Quisumbing to lobby for the change but Quisumbing who recently joined the Liberal Party has voiced reservations about it.

Cebu City Rep. Tomas Osmeña  earlier proposed annexing  Cordova town to Cebu City.

Lapu-Lapu City used to belong to Cebu’s 6th district with Mandaue City, Cordova City and Consolacion town until re Lapu-Lapu secured its own congressional district with the passage of Republic Act 9726 in 2010.

Biaño, who’s running against Cortes for mayor in next year’s elections, said he’s proud to be the “last man standing” for the opposition even as former allies jumped ship to join Cortes in the Cebu LP chapter.

“I’m running for change since the present administration is not working for the people,” he said.

Biaño has his own group called Mandaue Contra Corruption (MCC)  under the Bagong Bayan party of former senator Richard Gordon. Correspondent Jucell Marie P. Cuyos