16 'cities' request IRA share as cities

CEBU, Philippines - The 16 cities, whose status have been questioned by the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) are now asking the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to return to them their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).

This came after the Supreme Court directed the LCP to respond to the motion for reconsideration and pleading of the 16 cities.

Naga, Cebu Mayor Valdemar Chiong, whose city is one of the 16, said that they can’t just sit down and wait for the next step, as the High Tribunal order to the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) is “very clear” that the they are still officially cities, hence, they still deserve their IRA as cities back.

It was on the second quarter of this year when the DBM started slashing down the share of the 16 cities from the national income despite that there is no final decision by the Supreme Court yet.

The SC in a decision dated November 18, 2008 has declared unconstitutional the laws creating the 16 cities as they did not meet the income requirement to become such.

The said ruling however is not final and executory as the aggrieved parties were allowed to file a motion for reconsideration.

The Supreme Court en banc in a resolution last September 29, has asked the LCP “to comment” on the motion and pleading within 10 days of the receipt of the notice.

Chiong said before the 10 days had expired, the LCP had asked a 10-day extension.

Their response has already been submitted but is yet to be reviewed.

Meanwhile, DBM has also asked the SC regarding the status of the 16 cities.

In an earlier interview, SC spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said that the city status of the 16 local government units remains on “status quo” while the court has still not made its November 18, 2008 decision final and executory.

He even asked that the aggrieved party to raise their issue on the reduced IRA to the court for appropriate action.

Naga, Cebu started receiving the slashed IRA since May, wherein its remaining 20 percent IRA for that month was never released.

The IRA is released monthly in two tranches — 80 percent for the second week of the month, and the 20 percent on the following week.

Naga’s monthly share is P18 million, but only 80 percent was released in May. The same also followed for the succeeding months.

Meanwhile, DBM’s query was supposed to be tackled by the SC en banc last Tuesday, but was postponed due to a lack of quorum.

The other local governments, who status as cities are being questioned are Bogo, Cebu; Carcar, Cebu; Baybay, Leyte; Catbalogan, Samar; Tandag, Surigao del Sur; Lamitan, Basilan; Borongan, Samar; Tayabas, Quezon; Tabuk, Kalinga; Bayugan, Agusan del Sur; Batac, Ilocos Norte; Mati, Davao Oriental, Guihulngan, Negros Oriental; Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte; and El Salvador, Misamis Oriental. —/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)