Quezon is now facing its one of the biggest fight in life. Because of the R.A. 9495 with tha aim to divide Quezon into two. The Quezon del Sur and Quezon del Norte, the 1st and the 2nd district will be the Quezon del Norte and 3rd and 4th district will will be the Quezon del Sur.

THE Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the government from proclaiming the results of the plebiscite for the split of Quezon province. However, the Court was silent on the holding of the plebiscite that is scheduled on December 13.

In its order, the SC restrained Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, the budget secretary, the Commission on Elections (Comelec), “your agents, representatives or persons acting your place or stead.”

The order stemmed from at least three petitions asking the Court to stop the split of the province into Quezon del Norte and Quezon del Sur as mandated by Republic Act 9495.

At the same time, Quezon Gov. Rafael Nantes finally broke his silence on the issue, as he categorically declared that he is against the split of the province.

Nantes urged Quezon residents to vote “no” during the December 13 plebiscite.

Nantes shouted “No to hati-Quezon” three times before assembled provincial government employees at the Quezon Convention Center in the capital city of Lucena.

Vice Gov. Carlos Portes, former governor Eddie Rodriguez and several mayors and provincial board members joined Nantes in calling for a “no” vote.

Branding RA 9495, or An Act Creating the Province of Quezon del Sur Defective, Nantes said: “Papaano ako tatayo sa isang batas na defective, ayokong mag-implement ng isang defective na batas.”

Ironically, Nantes was one of the coauthors of RA 9495 when he was still the congressman representing the province’s First District.

The other sponsors of the bill in the House of Representatives are Liberal Party Reps. Proceso Alcala of the Second District, Danilo Suarez of the Third District and Lorenzo Tañada III of the Fourth District.

Nantes and Portes slammed the Comelec for providing just 22 days for the campaign period. The Comelec set November 19 to December 11 as the campaign period of the Quezon plebiscite.

Calling on the people of Quezon to choose their destiny, Portes said, “The division of Quezon has put the province in ‘a 50-50 condition’ and is the most stupid blunder that the people would make if it wins on December 13 and if that happens, there is no turning back anymore and everybody is a loser.”

Rodriguez claimed politics is the reason behind the move to split the province and added that if it pushed through, the Third and Fourth Districts that will compose Quezon del Sur would surely suffer in comparison to the already developed First and Second Districts under Quezon del Norte.

Informed of the governor’s change of heart, former board member Frumencio Pulgar, a lawyer who acts as chairman of Save Quezon Province Movement (SQPM), said it is about time the governor did it so that the people would know his stand.

Former Mulanay mayor Joselito Ojeda said the governor’s coming-out with a “no” stand is correct. “Nang siya ay iboto ng buong lalawigan, ipinagkatiwala ng buong Quezon sa kanya ang pamamahala nito. Kung papayag siyang basta na lang hatiin ay inabandona niya ang tiwala at covenant na ito. He was elected by the whole province, not by the half of it,” he said.

On November 17 Pulgar and civic leader Hobart Dator Jr., president of SQPM, filed a petition for certiorari and temporary restraining order with the Supreme Court to declare RA 9495 unconstitutional and to stop the implementation of the resolutions issued by the Comelec that govern the plebiscite