Even after becoming a highly urbanized city independent from South Cotabato in 1988, General Santos remained part of the province's congressional representation.
[4] In the same ruling, the Supreme Court ordered COMELEC to convene a Special Provincial Board of Canvassers to proclaim the winning candidate, Shirlyn L. Bañas-Nograles who garnered 68.55% of the votes cast in the May 2019 election, as the duly elected representative of the 1st Congressional District of South Cotabato, including General Santos.
10021 that officially mandate and legally clarify the City of General Santos as a lone district, separate from South Cotabato.
[5] It passed on House third and final reading on 15 September 2021 and on the Senate on 31 January 2022 with an amendment where the first election for the reapportioned seats will be on 2025.
The bill lapsed into a law without then President Rodrigo Duterte's signature on June 2, 2022, and was indexed under Republic Act No.