By JEN BAYLON

The Supreme Court (SC) has directed the Office of the Solicitor General to make a comment on the petition questioning the enactment of the Negros Island Region (NIR).

“The Court required the respondents to file their comment to the petition and prayer for a temporary restraining order within a non-extendible period of 10 days from notice,” the SC said.

The petition, filed by six residents of Negros Oriental and Siquijor, challenges the constitutionality of Republic Act (RA) No. 12000 which established the NIR, composed of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.

The petitioners asked the SC to issue a temporary restraining order or a writ of preliminary injunction on the implementation of the NIR.

They claimed that RA 12000, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on June 13, “never submitted to the people through a plebiscite as constitutionally required, neither was there any public consultation.”

The establishment and revival of NIR was “illegal” due to its failure to follow standard legislative processes, they added.

The petitioners said they are left with no other recourse “but to seek urgent relief from the Honorable Court to halt the implementation of this unconstitutional act.”

Earlier, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson would leave the decision to SC on the petition.

“It’s a free country, it’s a democratic country. Anybody can file a petition to the Supreme Court when they want to, but it will be up to the Supreme Court to decide,” he added.

The governor believes the petitioners felt that Negros Oriental and Siquijor would be put at a disadvantage in NIR.

However, more people said that the newly established region will benefit the three provinces, he added.

Lacson said it is better to wait for SC’s decision on the complaint.

For now, all parties await SC’s decision on the petition, which will ultimately determine NIR’s future and its intended role in improving governance and service delivery in the region./JB, WDJ