The City Development Council early this week unanimously approved a resolution expressing vehement objections to the proposed inclusion of Zamboanga City in the proposed Autonomous Region in Southwestern Mindanao (ARSwM), one of the autonomous regions sought to be created under two bills filed in the 15th Congress.

The resolution, authored by Barangay chairman Nadz Sampang of Campo Islam, specifically cited 3 issues: the inclusion of Zamboanga in the proposed region; the plan to make Zamboanga City as a capital of the proposed ARSwM and the proposal to base the plebiscite results on a per barangay basis.

The measure was addressed to Congressman Feliciano Belmonte, Speaker of the House and copy furnished to Cong. Beng Climaco, House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao.

The CDC, chaired by Mayor Celso Lobregat on Tuesday (August 10) met at the Garden Orchid Hotel to discuss the Local Development Investment Plan (LDIP) for 2011-2013 and the Annual Investment Plan (AIP) for 2011, a prerequisite for the deliberations and consultations for the 2011 executive budget.

It was the consensus of the Council that the two bills—House Bill 173 filed by former president and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Arroyo and her son Rep. Diosdado Arroyo of Camarines Sur and House Bill 143 of Tawi-tawi solon Nur Jaafar which was first introduced in the 14th Congress and also refiled the same day as that of Arroyo.

The Arroyo and Jaafar bills propose the creation of two autonomous regions, propose the creation of two autonomous regions: Autonomous Region for Central Mindanao (ARCeM) and the Autonomous Region for Southwestern Mindanao (ARSwM). Both proposals call for the conduct of a plebiscite in each and every barangay in the provinces proposed to be included in each of the two regions.

Except for the schedule of the plebiscite and the capital of the proposed regions, all the other provisions of the 2 bills are identical. Arroyo’s bill proposes the plebiscite to be held simultaneously with the barangay elections in October this year while the Jaafar bill proposes the plebiscite to be held simultaneously with the local and national elections in May 2013.

The Arroyo bill designates Zamboanga City as the seat of the ARSwM and Cotabato as the capital of the ARCeM while the Jaafar bill identifies Sangali, Sibugay as the capital of ARSwM and Cotabato for the ARCeM.

Mayor Lobregat warned that dismemberment or gerrymandering of the city and Mindanao—one issue that the Zamboanguenos steadfastly fought against during the MOA-AD/BJE days last 2008, will most likely happen if and when the proposal to base the plebiscite results on a per barangay basis, will push through.

Many times over, the city of Zamboanga has voted to be out of the autonomous region of Muslim Mindanao including the MOA-AD/BJE and all other entities in whatever form or name.

The CDC is composed of the 98 barangay chairmen, representatives from the non-government organizations, the office of the mayor, city department heads including the two congressmen and the chairmen of the Council committee on Appropriation and Barangay Affairs.

At least 81 of the 98 barangay chairmen and all of invited representatives from the civil society were physically present during the CDC meeting.

Primarily, the CDC approved the proposed LDIP and the P1.9 billion AIP which includes mostly projects and programs based on the 10 priority agenda of the local government under the City Development Strategy (CDS).

Other resolutions approved during the meeting included the measure adopting the CDS as the executive legislative agenda of the city; measure reiterating support to the brand name Asia’s Latin City because of the uniqueness of Zamboanga as the only chabacano-speaking city in the country and entire Asia and a resolution requesting the establishment of persons with disabilities organizations in all of the city’s 98 barangays pursuant to Republic Act 1070.