The Cotabato City Hall. (PNA Cotabsyo file photo)
COTABATO CITY – The City Council here has passed a resolution urging the House of Representatives to create a separate congressional district for Cotabato City.
The city forms part of Maguindanao’s first congressional district, along with 11 towns.
City Councilor Japal Guiani III, author of the proposition, told reporters Thursday that the resolution was channeled through Rep. Ronnie Sinsuat of Maguindanao’s first district.
“We have been dreaming for this for so long,” Cotabato City Vice Mayor Graham Dumama told local reporters. “It’s long overdue. Since my first term in 2010, we were already hoping to have (a) separate House seat."
Guiani said the City Council members approved the resolution unanimously during Tuesday’s regular session.
Dumama said Cotabato City has been qualified since 2015 to become a congressional district based on population, land area, and revenue collections.
Sinsuat said he will file a bill creating the city as a separate congressional district.
Sinsuat, a first-termer member of the House, earlier sponsored a bill seeking to divide Maguindanao into two and create a Western Maguindanao.
Dumama said the more than 300,000 population of Cotabato City have been asking for a separate congressional seat so more developments would come and so that city residents would have a voice in the national legislature.
“Having a separate congressional district has many advantages for the city. For one, it will have its representative in the House, it will have congressional funds,” the vice mayor said.
He added that the House representative will only have the 37 barangays of Cotabato City to “fill up his/her mind” unlike the 11 towns in Maguindanao that occupy his mind at present. (PNA)
