Cartagena defends Noynoy over redistricting issue
Atty. Dan Cartagena, convenor of the Noynoy Aquino for President Movement in Iloilo City, strongly believes the senator did not assure chief Presidential Legal Counsel Raul Gonzalez Sr. the approval of the proposed House Bill 4256, a bill Reapportioning Iloilo City into two districts.
In an interview with Joel Tormon of Aksyon Radyo Iloilo, Cartagena stressed it is impossible for the senator to give the go signal for the approval of a bill which is unconstitutional and illegal. He said it may be true that Aquino went to Gonzalez’s office to discuss the proposed bill but it does not mean that he assured its approval. Maybe his visit to Gonzalez’s office is his “polite way” of saying no to the proposal, said Cartagena.
It was Cartagena and his group who spearheaded the campaign against the approval of the HB 4256. On August 21, 2008, he along with former Councilor Joshua Alim and several others signed a manifesto opposing the approval of the proposed bill.
Cartagena argued that there is no logic in Senator Aquino’s going to Gonzalez’s office to talk on the matter when the former could have approved the proposal in his committee without exerting effort. His visit to Gonzalez’s office is a sign of respect since Aquino acknowledged the help extended by Gonzalez to his father, Benigno Sr.
Cartagena, quoting Aquino, said Gonzalez is banking on the Supreme Court decision which allowed the creation of another congressional district after the city population exceeded 250,000. The SC decision refers to a case in Makati .
In his recent meeting with Aquino in Manila, Cartagena said the senator admitted that he is not a lawyer but he has consulted experts in political law like Fr. Joaquin Bernas regarding the proposed bill reapportioning Iloilo City into two districts.
The senator would not allow the approval of the HB since it failed to meet the requirements and its approval is deemed illegal and unconstitutional.
The lawyer even challenged Gonzalez to have a public debate regarding HB 4256. “We now belong to the same level. He is no longer the DOJ Secretary. The two of us are both lawyers, so I challenge him to a debate on the issue,” Cartagena said.