Rep. Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) is confident that the Senate will approve a counterpart bill creating the Negros Island Region.
Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito, who chairs the Senate Committee on Local Government, said the Senate will resume the NIR hearings sometime in May, Benitez added.
Ejercito is the Senate Committee on Local Government chair.
“I don’t think anybody has any problems with it (the NIR) politically, the problem is budgetary,” he said.
But a solution to the budgetary concerns can be resolved, Benitez said.
Benitez said the thinks the new Negros Oriental governor, Carlo Jorge Juan “Guido” Reyes, is okay with the NIR.
Even former Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo was softening his stand on it, he added.
Benitez also pointed out that the approval of the NIR bill is a legislative matter.
The NIR bill seeks the creation of a new region composed of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor.*