Legarda supports Quisumbing’s move for Consolacion cityhood

CEBU 6th district Rep. Luigi Quisumbing has found an ally in reelectionist Sen. Loren Legarda in his bid to convert Consolacion town in northern Cebu into a city. But first he has to seek a new term in the May 13 polls and pass before the 16th Congress the Consolacion cityhood bill. Legarda who visited Consolacion yesterday said she is willing to sponsor the Senate version of the Consolacion cityhood law. Legarda who is running under Team Pinoy, a consistent top notcher in major pre-election surveys has been tauted as a sure winner in the May polls. Quisumbing of the Liberal Party on the other hand is challenged by former 3rd district representative Nerissa Soon-Ruiz who is running under the One Cebu Party. “I will support it assuming that the basic requirements for cityhood are met,” Legarda said. The cityhood bill from the Lower House needs to pass all the requirements before she can support it in the Senate, she added. Quisumbing said he is completing all the paperworks to make sure Consolacion cityhood law will not suffer the same fate as the declaration of new cities, like Naga and Bogo which was questioned several times in the Supreme Court. “As we know there are certain requirements in converting the municipality into a city,” Quisumbing said while saying that they are closely studying the cityhood of Consolacion with the Mayor Teresa Alegado. “We want to make sure to avoid that, we want to make sure all legal angles are covered so that the Municipality of Consolacion can be converted in a hassle free manner,” he added. /Jucell Marie P. Cuyos, Reporter