Legislative districts of Cotabato
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The Legislative Districts of Cotabato are the representations of the province of Cotabato in the various national legislatures of the Philippines. The province is currently represented in the lower house of the Congress of the Philippines through its first, second and third congressional districts.
The province of South Cotabato (including what is now Sarangani Province and the highly urbanized city of General Santos) last formed part of its representation in 1967, and the provinces of Maguindanao (including the independent component city of Cotabato) and Sultan Kudarat in 1972.
History
Prior to partition of Cotabato Province in 1966
Initially being excluded from representation in the lower house of the Philippine Legislature in 1907, the then-non-Christian-majority areas of the Philippines — which included the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, of which the undivided province of Cotabato was part — were finally extended legislative representation with the passage of the Philippine Autonomy Act in 1916 by the United States Congress. The Revised Administrative Code (Act No. 2711) enacted on 10 March 1917 further elaborated on the manner by which these areas would be represented.[1] The non-Christian areas were to be collectively represented in the upper house's 12th senatorial district by two senators, both appointed by the Governor-General.[1] Five assembly members, also appointed by the Governor-General, were to represent the seven component provinces of Department of Mindanao and Sulu — Agusan, Bukidnon, Cotabato, Davao, Lanao, Sulu and Zamboanga — in the lower house as a single at-large district.
These arrangements remained in place despite the abolition of the Department in 1920. It lasted until 1935, when each of the seven provinces was provided one representative to the National Assembly of the Philippines, albeit the manner of election varying between provinces. Voters of the more Christianized provinces of Agusan, Bukidnon, Davao and Zamboanga could elect their representative through popular vote by virtue of Article VI, Section 1 of the 1935 Constitution.[2] In the Muslim-dominated provinces of Cotabato, Lanao and Sulu, however, voter qualifications were more restrictive: the only persons allowed to vote for the province's representative were past and present municipal officials (municipal president, vice-president, municipal councilors); present senators, assembly representatives and 1935 Constitutional Convention delegates; provincial governors and members of provincial boards; and any persons currently residing in the concerned province who held any of the aforementioned positions in the past.[3] This was the manner by which Cotabato's representative was elected in 1935.
The 1st National Assembly of the Philippines passed Commonwealth Act No. 44 on 13 October 1936 to finally give all qualified voters of Cotabato (along with Lanao and Sulu) the right to elect their own representatives through popular vote.[4] Voters began to elect their representatives in this manner beginning in 1938.
During the Second World War, the undivided Province of Cotabato sent two delegates to the National Assembly of the Japanese-sponsored Second Philippine Republic: one was the provincial governor (an ex officio member), while the other was elected through a provincial assembly of KALIBAPI members during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. Upon the restoration of the Philippine Commonwealth in 1945 the province retained its pre-war lone congressional district. Even after receiving its own city charter on 20 June 1959 Cotabato City remained part of the representation of the Province of Cotabato, per Section 91 of Republic Act No. 2634.[5]
As the reduced Cotabato Province (1966–1973)
The enactment of Republic Act No. 4849 on 18 June 1966 reduced the territory of Cotabato Province with the separation of its southern municipalities to form the new province of South Cotabato.[6] Pursuant to Section 5 of R.A. 4849, the incumbent representative of Cotabato began to represent only the remaining portion of the province (along with the chartered city of Cotabato) in the second half of the 6th Congress, following the election of South Cotabato's separate representative in a special election held on the same day as the 1967 senatorial elections.[6]
As the current (North) Cotabato Province (1973–present)
On 22 November 1973 the reduced Cotabato Province was further subdivided into the provinces of Maguindanao, North Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 341.[7] All three successor provinces were represented in the Interim Batasang Pambansa as part of Region XII from 1978 to 1984. It was during this period that one of them — North Cotabato — was renamed Cotabato through Batas Pambansa Blg. 660.[8]
The present-day (North) Cotabato Province returned two representatives, elected at-large, to the Regular Batasang Pambansa in 1984. Under the new Constitution which was proclaimed on 11 February 1987, the province was reapportioned into two congressional districts;[9] each elected its member to the restored House of Representatives starting that same year.
The approval of Republic Act No. 10177 on 14 September 2012 increased the representation of (North) Cotabato by reapportioning the province into three legislative districts.[10] The representatives for the newly reconfigured districts were first elected in the 2013 elections.
1st District
- Municipalities: Alamada, Aleosan, Libungan, Midsayap, Pigcawayan, Pikit
- Population (2015): 525,690[11]
| Period | Representative[12] |
|---|---|
| 16th Congress 2013–2016 |
Jesus N. Sacdalan |
| 17th Congress 2016–2019 |
1987–2013
| Period | Representative[12] |
|---|---|
| 8th Congress 1987–1992 |
Rodrigo B. Gutang |
| 9th Congress 1992–1995 |
Anthony P. Dequiña |
| 10th Congress 1995–1998 | |
| 11th Congress 1998–2001 | |
| 12th Congress 2001–2004 |
Emmylou J. Taliño-Mendoza |
| 13th Congress 2004–2007 | |
| 14th Congress 2007–2010 | |
| 15th Congress 2010–2013 |
Jesus N. Sacdalan |
2nd District
- City: Kidapawan
- Municipalities: Antipas, Arakan, Magpet, Makilala, President Roxas
- Population (2015): 394,354[11]
| Period | Representative[12] |
|---|---|
| 16th Congress 2013–2016 |
Nancy A. Catamco |
| 17th Congress 2016–2019 |
1987–2013
- City: Kidapawan
- Municipalities: Antipas, Magpet, Makilala, Matalam, M'lang, President Roxas, Tulunan, Arakan (established 1991)
| Period | Representative[12] |
|---|---|
| 8th Congress 1987–1992 |
Gregorio A. Andolana |
| 9th Congress 1992–1995 | |
| 10th Congress 1995–1998 | |
| 11th Congress 1998–2001 |
Gregorio T. Ipong |
| 12th Congress 2001–2004 | |
| 13th Congress 2004–2007 | |
| 14th Congress 2007–2010 |
Bernardo F. Piñol, Jr. |
| 15th Congress 2010–2013 |
Nancy A. Catamco |
3rd District
| Period | Representative[12] |
|---|---|
| 16th Congress 2013–2016 |
Jose I. Tejada |
| 17th Congress 2016–2019 |
Lone District (defunct)
1935–1967
- encompasses present-day provinces of Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato, and the independent cities of Cotabato and General Santos
| Period | Representative[12] |
|---|---|
| 1st National Assembly 1935–1938 |
Datu Balabaran Sinsuat |
| 2nd National Assembly 1938–1941 |
Ugalingan Piang |
| 1st Commonwealth Congress 1941–1946 | |
| 1st Congress 1946–1949 |
Gumbay Piang |
| 2nd Congress 1949–1953 |
Datu Blah T. Sinsuat1 |
| 3rd Congress 1953–1957 |
Luminog Datu Mangelen |
| 4th Congress 1957–1961 |
Salipada K. Pendatun2 |
| 5th Congress 1961–1965 | |
| 6th Congress 1965–1969 | |
| see 1968–1972 | |
- ^1 Only took oath of office on 3 January 1950.[12]
- ^2 Elected for a third term in 1965 as representative for the undivided province of Cotabato; began to serve as the representative of the reduced Cotabato province beginning in the second half of the 6th Congress, after the election of a separate representative for South Cotabato, pursuant to R.A. 4849.[6]
1968–1972
- encompasses present-day provinces of Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat, and the independent city of Cotabato
| Period | Representative[12] |
|---|---|
| 6th Congress 1965–1969 |
see 1935–1967 |
| Salipada K. Pendatun1 | |
| 7th Congress 1969–1972 |
- ^1 Elected in 1965 as representative for the undivided province of Cotabato; began to serve as the representative of the reduced Cotabato province beginning in the second half of the 6th Congress, after the separate representative for South Cotabato took office, pursuant to R.A. 4849.[6] For the 7th Congress: only took oath of office as representative on 29 July 1970,[12] following a legal battle over results of election contested by Datu Blah Sinsuat.[13]
At-Large (defunct)
1943–1944
- encompasses present-day provinces of Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato, and the independent cities of Cotabato and General Santos
| Period | Representatives[12] |
|---|---|
| National Assembly 1943–1944 |
Menandang Piang[14] |
| Alfonso A. Pablo (ex officio)[14] |
1984–1986
| Period | Representatives[12] |
|---|---|
| Regular Batasang Pambansa 1984–1986 |
Tomas B. Baga, Jr. |
| Carlos B. Cajelo |
See also
References
- 1 2 Philippine Legislature (1917). Revised Administrative Code of the Philippine Islands of 1917 (Act No. 2711) (Digitized Revised Administrative Code of the Philippine Islands of 1917 from the Presidential Museum and Library Collection, uploaded on 15 February 2016). Bureau of Printing. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
- ↑ Commonwealth of the Philippines (8 February 1935). "The 1935 Constitution". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- ↑ Philippine Legislature (1937). Public Laws Enacted by the Philippine Legislature, Acts No. 4203 to 4275. Bureau of Printing Office. p. 5. Retrieved 5 February 2017.
- ↑ National Assembly of the Philippines (13 October 1936). "Commonwealth Act No. 44 - An Act applying the General provisions of the Election Law to the election of Assemblymen from the Provinces of Lanao, Cotabato, and Sulu". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- ↑ "Republic Act No. 2364 - An Act Creating the City of Cotabato". Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. 20 June 1959. Retrieved 19 February 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 Congress of the Philippines (18 June 1966). "Republic Act No. 4849 - An Act Creating the Province of South Cotabato". Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ↑ Marcos, Ferdinand E. (22 November 1973). "Presidential Decree No. 341 - Creating the Provinces of North Cotabato, Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- ↑ Batasang Pambansa ng Pilipinas (7 March 1984). "Batas Pambansa Blg. 660 - An Act Changing the Name of the Province of North Cotabato to Cotabato". Chan Robles Virtual Law Library. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ↑ 1986 Constitutional Commission (2 February 1987). "1987 Constitution of the Philippines - Apportionment Ordinance". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- ↑ Congress of the Philippines (14 September 2012). "Republic Act No. 10177 - An Act Reapportioning the Province of Cotabato into Three (3) Legislative Districts". Official Gazette of the Republic of the Philippines. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- 1 2 3 "Population of Population of Legislative Districts by Region, Province, and Selected Highly Urbanized/Component City: 2015". Philippine Statistics Authority. 2015. Retrieved 19 November 2017.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Congressional Library Bureau. "Roster of Philippine Legislators". Republic of the Philippines, House of Representatives. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- ↑ Supreme Court of the Philippines (30 June 1970). "G.R. No. L-31501 - DATU BLAH SINSUAT, Petitioner, v. SALIPADA K. PENDATUN, COMMISSION ON ELECTIONS, and THE PROVINCIAL BOARD OF CANVASSERS OF COTABATO, Respondents". The LawPhil Project. Retrieved 20 February 2017.
- 1 2 Official program of the inauguration of the Republic of the Philippines and the induction into office of His Excellency Jose P. Laurel. Bureau of Printing. 1943.