The creation of the newest province in the Philippines, the Davao Occidental will be decided during the Barangay Elections 2013 in Davao. The proposed new province will be composed of the municipalities of Sta. Maria, Malita, Don Marcelino, Jose Abad Santos and Sarangan.
Photo Credit: Inquirer.Net
All the five municipalities were carved out from the eight municipalities in the second legislative district of Davao del Sur. The Supreme Court of the Philippines, has given the Commission on Elections (Comelec) the green light to hold the plebiscite for the creation of the province of Davao Occidental.
The decision was penned by Senior (–foul word(s) removed–)ociate Justice Antonio Carpio after the petition of Davao Del Sur Governor Douglas Cagas, who opposed the plebiscite, was denied in Friday’s special En Banc session.
The holding of the plebiscite for Davao Occidental was approved by the Comelec last July 31 and they decided to hold the plebiscite during the Barangay Elections 2013. The Comelec announced that holding the plebiscite together with the Barangay Elections will save around P29 million in expenses.
Under Republic Act (RA) No 10360, the province of Davao Occidental shall be created, “upon approval by the majority of the votes cast by the voters of the affected areas in a plebiscite to be conducted and supervised by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) within sixty (60) days from the date of the effectivity” of the law.