KALIBO, Aklan – The House of Representatives passed on its second reading the bill that seeks to reapportion the province of Aklan into two legislative districts.
House Bill (HB) No. 4670 – which Rep. Carlito Marquez (Aklan) re-filed on Dec. 13, 2016 – was substituted with HB No. 7522 based on House Committee Report No. 725 dated April 23.
It was Rep. Pedro Acharon Jr. (South Cotabato, 1st District), chairman of the House committee on local government, who recommended the substitution and approval of the redistricting bill on the first reading.
On May 22, members of the 17th Congress approved through a viva voce vote HB No. 7522.
There are 17 municipalities in Aklan, which are sought to be divided into Aklan’s 1st and 2nd districts.
The proposed 1st district is composed of Kalibo, New Washington, Banga, Batan, Altavas, Balete, Libacao, and Madalag with a total population of about 297,318.
The proposed 2nd district, on the other hand, is composed of Buruanga, Malay, Nabas, Ibajay, Tangalan, Makato, Numancia, Lezo, and Malinao with a population of about 277,505.
The populations in two proposed congressional districts were based on the 2015 census of the government.
The proponents of the redistricting bill said Aklan satisfies the constitutional requirement of having two legislative districts, citing Section 5, Article VI of the 1987 Constitution that requires one legislative representative for a population of at least 250,000 inhabitants.
In 2015, the Senate failed to pass the Aklan redistricting bill during the final days of the legislative session before the deadline of the filing of candidacy for the May 2016 local elections, the reason that the bill was re-filed. (With Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
