Bataoil awaits outcome of public hearing on "Redistricting"

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY – A Pangasinan congressman awaits the conclusion of the public hearing being undertaken by the provincial board if Pangasinenses want additional congressional apportionment in addition to its present six congressional districts.

Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil (2nd District, Pangasinan) (extreme right)
 explains to the media his takes on the pork barrel issue, the police,
 and the additional congressional districts in Pangasinan.

Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil (2^nd District, Pangasinan) said he and fellow Pangasinan congressmen wait for the consultations being done by the Sanggunian Panlalawigan (provincial board).

“Ano ba ang gusto ng taong bayan? Gusto namin malaman. Sa amin iyong personal namin we would keep within our heart. But we will abide by the people’s will. So we have to wait for the result of the public consultation of the Sanggunian Bayan (town council) and Sanggunian Panlalawigan which will be endorsed later on by their congressman,” he stressed.

Bataoil has an answer when asked that it should be the congressmen and not the board members, as the latter duplicate the function of a congressman, who should lead the public consultation and file a bill in congress for the “redistricting” as mandated by the Constitution.

“Let’s clarify it. It is being undertaken by our provincial government and it was initiated at the Sanggunian Panlalawigan it was deliberated, public consultation, and they came up with various functions that are still under study and under scrutiny”.

He said after that he and fellow congressmen in Pangasinan will discuss the merits of the apportionment.

“We have to do it one step at a time. Meanwhile, let the undertaken be done by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan”.

In the hearing that ensued at the provincial board in July this year, the proposed new two districts would be taken on either of the following towns and cities:

San Carlos City, Bayambang, Basista, and Urbiztondo or Bautista, Alcala, Santo Tomas, Malasiqui, Rosales, and Villasis or Sison, Urdaneta City, Asingan, Binalonan, Laoac, and Pozorrubio or Balungao, San Manuel, San Nicolas, San Quintin, Santa Maria, Tayug, Natividad, or Umingan.