PASIG MUST LEVEL UP WITH THE REST OF THE COUNTRY. WE LONG DESERVE THREE REPS TO CONGRESS 

We, citizens of Pasig City, hereby petition the Congress of the Philippines through Rep. Roman Romulo to rectify the long-standing underrepresentation of the citizenry of Pasig in the House of Representatives by increasing Pasig’s congressional district representation from one to three.

By this petition, we invoke our right as citizens of Pasig to a more democratic citizens’ representation.  With more congressional district representatives, our participation and consultations with them on matters both of national policy and local concerns will be greatly enhanced.   We also ask that our representation be commensurate to the increasing taxes we pay as citizens -- whether as businessmen, professionals, workers and consumers.   We believe that this will improve the quality of our congressional representation, and of politics and governance in general in the city of Pasig. 

Our petition is based on what the law says.  The Philippine Constitution, Article VI, Section 5 read as follows:

Section 5(3) Each legislative district shall comprise, as far as practicable, contiguous, compact, and adjacent territory. Each city with a population of at least two hundred fifty thousand, or each province, shall have at least one representative.

Section 5(4) Within three years following the return of every census, the Congress shall make a reapportionment of legislative districts based on the standards provided in this section.

 These provisions were later interpreted by the Supreme Court in its ruling on “Aquino vs. Comelec” GR 189793 of April 7, 2010. The Supreme Court ruled that :

 “In other words, while Section 5(3), Article VI of the Constitution requires a city to have a minimum population of 250,000 to be entitled to a representative, it does not have to increase its population by another 250, 000 to be entitled to an additional district. “

 “Our ruling is that population is not the only factor but is just one of several other factors in the composition of the additional district.  Such settlement is in accord with both the text of the Constitution and the spirit of the letter, so very clearly given form in the Constitutional debates on the exact issue presented by this petition.

 Population-wise, Pasig has long been entitled to more than one congressional district.  The 2000 National Census shows that Pasig already had a population of 500,000, twice the number set as minimum by the Constitution for a city to be entitled to additional representative.  The last National Census taken in 2010 shows that Pasig’s population has increased to 669,773. 

 In addition, the Supreme Court ruled that population is not the only factor but is just one of several other factors in the creation of an additional district.  We believe that in the case of Pasig, income and demographic identities are equally important grounds why it should have two more congressional districts.

 In 2014, Pasig’s total revenue amounted to Php 7.5 billion, with an IRA of Php 884.1 million.  For 2015, Pasig’s total revenue is projected to reach Php 8.1 billion, with an IRA of Php 1.0 billion.  This makes Pasig the fourth biggest revenue earning city in the country, next only to Quezon City, Makati City and the City of Manila. In terms of both population and income, Pasig is now one of the leading cities of our country.

 Demographic identities should also count. These are the reasons why we call for three congressional districts to be apportioned as follows :

 1)   District 1:  to be composed of the barangays of the old city center, namely Kapasigan, Buting, San Joaquin, Malinao, Sumilang, San Jose, Bagong Katipunan, San Nicolas, Sta. Cruz, Sto. Tomas, Sta. Rosa, Bambang, Sagad, Caniogan, and Maybunga, and the barangays inside and near the central business district of Pasig, namely San Antonio, Kapitolyo, Oranbo, Ugong, Pineda and Bagong Ilog.

 2)   District 2: to be composed of barangays Rosario, Manggahan, Santolan, de la Paz and Sta. Lucia.

 3)   District 3: to be composed of barangays Pinagbuhatan, San Miguel,Palatiw, and Kalawaan

 

 “KUNG HINDI TATLO, PASIGUEÑO AY TALO”

 

 

Signed as of May 24, 2015 : 

Atty. Rene A.V. Saguisag, Dr. Achilles G. Bartolome, former Justice Raoul V. Victorino, Atty. Ben Bernardino, Jose Amado "Kit" Angeles, Nonilon C. Espiritu III, Eduardo B. Salonga, Dr. Luciano “Chito” Santiago, Chris Portillo, Roque Navarro, Dr. Fernando Melendres, Atty. Ismael B. Sanchez,  Dr. Boy Alfonso, Atty. Roy Enrico C. Santos, Ronaldo V. Cruz, Miguel Ramos, Augusto Manalo, Dr. Nestor Castro, PhD, Rosalina “Sally” dela Paz-Magat, Benjamin Sta. Ana, Ricardo B. Reyes, Antonio H. Miguel, Daniel Tan, Engr. Ronald P. Vasquez, Sisenando Santos, Emmanuel Manato, Mario Cruz, Virginia Luis-Ballesteros, Eduardo Bayoneta, Mary Jane Salonga, Rodelia Tan, Dennis Mendiola, Anna Patricia R. Miguel, Glen Cunanan, Laurence Nepomuceno, Arnel Gregorio, Rodolfo Reyes, Alfredo Punongbayan, Lope Damian, Edna Martinez, Alex& Ma. Victoria Rombabwa, Shelly P. Francisco, Lawrence Lamadrid, Xyrille Yves A. Zaide, Atty. Tristan A. Reyes, and others

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