FCCS NEWSFLASH

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SINGSON VS SINGSON OVER CANDON CITYHOOD

Vigan, Ilocos Sur, Sept.23, 1997 - There is trouble brewing in the province, which pits Congressman Eric Singson and his wife, Candon Mayor Grace Singson, on one side against their close relative Governor Luis "Chavit" Singson. The issue dividing their family, and their followers, is whether or not to convert Candon town into a city.

Congressman Singson has a bill pending in Congress creating Candon City, which the governor contests on the grounds that Candon town lacks the necessary income, population and land area. Under the Local Government Code, a town can be converted into a city if it has P20 million in annual income, population of at least 150,000 and land area of no less than 100 square kilometers.

Candon only has 76.9 square kilometers of land, according to a report submitted by the Provincial Planning and Development Office.

Mayor Grace Singson disagrees and threatened to file charges against those who allegedly falsified the report to make her town ineligible for cityhood.

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