‘Let Supreme Court to decide on NIR petition’

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY – Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the Supreme Court (SC) will decide the fate of the petition filed by a group opposing the implementation of the Negros Island Region (NIR).

“Only the SC can decide on that,” the governor said on Tuesday when reporters asked for his comment on the issue.

“But you know, it’s a free country, it’s a democracy. Anybody can file a petition in the Supreme Court if they want to, but it will be up to the SC to decide what is best and how to treat that petition,” he added.

Lacson pointed out that while some are against the NIR, many more believe that it will benefit the three provinces involved.

He also noted that Negros Occidental lawmakers, Rep. Dino Yulo (5th District) and Rep. Mercedes Alvarez (6th District), have both asserted that they did not violate any rules in passing the NIR Act.

“As I said earlier, let us wait for the Supreme Court’s decision,” Lacson emphasized.

He added that there is no need to engage with political leaders of Negros Oriental and Siquijor provinces “because they are one with us.”

Earlier, Rep. Mercedes Alvarez contended that all required procedures were strictly followed in the approval of Republic Act No. 12000, known as the Negros Island Region Act.

“We followed all the procedures. There is no need for a plebiscite because we are not creating a new local government unit,” Alvarez said in response to the petition filed with the SC against the NIR implementation.

“It is only the administrative aspect of governance. We are not creating a new political or elected position,” Alvarez further clarified.

Alvarez emphasized that the purpose of creating the NIR is to enhance the efficiency of government services from the national government.

For his part, Negros Occidental 5th District Rep. Dino Yulo expressed his belief that there is “no substantial issue to stop the implementation of the NIR.”

Petitioners Rev. Fr. Hendrix Alar, Lina Eparwa, Wilfredo Magallano, Marcelino Maxino, Jose Imaculado Palmitos, and Grace Sumalpong filed a temporary restraining order with the Supreme Court, claiming that the creation of the NIR was illegal.

They argued that it was not submitted to the people through a plebiscite, nor was a public consultation held.

The NIR Act was signed into law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. two months ago.

Political leaders of the three provinces were reportedly set to sign the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the NIR in the last week of August, but Governor Lacson said it was delayed.