Osmeña backs stand opposing new cities

Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday expressed support to the stand of the League of Cities of the Philippines in opposing the bills approved by the Senate committee on local government converting 12 municipalities, including two in Cebu, into cities.

Osmeña described the Senate's decision as unfair, unconstitutional and against the Local Government Code. He also said the legislators who approved the bills were "politicking".

Bogo town in the north and Carcar town in the south are among the 12 municipalities petitioning to become cities. These towns' bids were exempted from the new law on the P100-million income requirement, excluding the Internal Revenue Allotment, as their bills were filed when the income requirement was still at P20 million.

The Senate local government committee has already endorsement the cityhood petitions, if the Senate plenary approves these the soon-to-be cities are expected to get a bigger share of the IRA.

Aside from Bogo and Carcar, the other 10 municipalities that applied for cityhood are Baybay (Leyte), Tayabas (Quezon), Catbalogan (Samar), Lamitan (Basilan), Tandag (Surigao del Sur), Tabuk (Kalinga), Batac (Ilocos Norte), Bayugan (Agusan del Sur), Cabadbaran (Agusan del Norte) and Borongan (Eastern Samar).

But the LCP warned that the conversion of more towns into cities may cut down the IRA share of the existing cities.

Osmeña emphasized that under the Constitution, any conversion of a municipality into a city must be compliant with the provisions of the Local Government Code.

"There should be no favoritism. Everyone should follow the Local Government Code," the mayor added.

Earlier, LCP president and Iloilo City mayor Jerry Treñas declared that the league is not against converting the 12 towns into cities, provided that the prospective cities meet the requirements of income of at least P200 million, aside from the other requirements on population and territorial boundaries.

He said that the "indiscriminate" conversion of municipalities into cities will contradict the principle of encouraging local governments to develop their economies before they apply for cityhood. - Wenna A. Berondo/BRP