By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Abang Lingkod partylist Rep. Stephen Paduano revealed he is currently working with Iloilo lone district Representative-elect Julienne Baronda and Iloilo City Mayor-elect Jerry Treñas on legislation to redistrict both Iloilo City and Bacolod City.
Prior to being elected mayor, Treñas was Iloilo City’s representative in Congress.
According to Paduano, Bacolod City is “more qualified” to be divided into two districts, pointing out, there have been earlier attempts to redistrict the city but they were never backed by Bacolod City officials.
In 2017, incumbent Bacolod City lone district Rep. Greg Gasataya penned a letter saying he was consulting city government officials on the proposed “creation of a new legislative district in the City of Bacolod.”
The congressman informed city officials he filed House Bill 147, which would reapportion the Lone Legislative District of the City of Bacolod and create a second legislative district in the city, in response to its consistently-increasing population.
At the time, according to Gasataya, the bill had already been referred to the technical working group, which he was chairing.
In response, Bacolod City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said the plan for two districts is long overdue, saying, the city is qualified to have two districts.
Meanwhile, the party-list legislator said he is looking to chair the Congressional Committee on Housing, which will be vacated by outgoing Negros Occidental third district Rep. Alfredo Benitez in the upcoming Congress./DGB, WDJ