IRA is next battle for 16 new cities

CEBU, Philippines - Following the Supreme Court’s ruling declaring with finality the 16 Cityhood Laws, first district Rep. Eduardo Gullas yesterday announced that their next “battle” is for the reinstatement of these 16 cities’ Internal Revenue Allotment.

“Now is the battle to recover the IRA of the 16 cities. Plan is we’ll write a letter to DBM Secretary Butch Abad and ask for the payment of their IRA,” said Gullas in a press conference in his office at the University of the Visayas.

Gullas said they will ask for two things; first is for the reinstatement of these affected cities’ share of the national income into city-value, since, last May 2009, the DBM had reduced it to almost the value when they were still towns; and second they will also pray for the adjustment of the IRA, giving back the entire amount which was deprived of them since May 2009.

The legislator, who authored the House Bills that converted Naga and Carcar here in Cebu into cities, said that their charter “uninterruptedly remained constitutional” because there was no Supreme Court decision that declared it otherwise that was made final.

And with that point, there should be no reason for the DBM to withhold their IRA since May 2009 or delay the release of their city-value share now that the High Court has declared final and executory its decision declaring the constitutionality of the new cities, Gullas said.

In its eight-page decision promulgated last June 28, the SC en banc sealed with finality the cityhood case and ordered its clerk of court to issue entry of judgment in the case.

“Wherefore, the court denies the petitioners’ motion for leave to file motion for reconsideration of the resolution of 12 April 2011 and the attached motion for reconsideration of the resolution of 12 April 2011; grants respondents’ motion for Entry of Judgment dated May 9, 2011 and directs the clerk of court to forthwith issue the Entry of Judgment in this case,” read the said decision penned by Associate Justice Lucas P. Bersamin.

And since the court also ordered that “no further pleadings or submissions by any party shall be entertained” Gullas said that already puts closure to everything. — (FREEMAN)