Press Release
September 24, 2009

ROXAS THUMBS DOWN BILL DIVIDING CAMSUR DISTRICT

Senator Mar Roxas on Wednesday rejected the proposed measure seeking the creation of a new legislative district in the province of Camarines Sur, a move which he claimed was obviously a political accommodation for Malacañang allies.

Roxas, along with fellow Liberal Party Senators Noynoy Aquino and Francis Pangilinan, and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, voted against the creation of the new legislative district on second reading of Committee Report No. 550, which proposed to "reapportion the composition of the first and second legislative districts in the province of Camarines Sir, and thereby creating a new legislative district from such reapportionment."

"Let me put it on record that members of the Liberal Party opposed the measure, which is clearly meant to favor somebody who is from Pampanga," the Visayan senator said after the votes were cast.

The senator was referring to Rep. Diosdado Ignacio "Dato" Arroyo, who is the incumbent representative of the first district of Camarines Sur, the former turf of ex-congressman and now Budget and Management Secretary Rolando Andaya.

Arroyo became an official resident of the first district of Camarines Sur after he built a residential house in Potot, Libmanan in Camarines Sur in 2006. A year after building his house, he qualified to run in the congressional race in 2007. President Arroyo appointed Andaya to the Department of Budget and Management in 2006.

"Tutol kami dito kasi malinaw na political accommodation lang ito. Binabraso lang tayo na ipasa ito para 'yung mga alipores ng administrasyon ay hindi magbanggan sa 2010," Roxas said.

He appealed to his colleagues not to be swayed into supporting the bill. "Sa mga kapwa namin senador, lalo iyong mga senador na Bikolano, nakikiusap kami: huwag naman ninyong payagang paglaruan na lang ng rehimeng ito ang Kabikulan," he added.

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