Abalos questions cityhood laws

Mandaluyong City Mayor Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. yesterday pushed for a review of laws allowing the conversion of at least 14 towns into cities to prevent the local governments’ share of the internal revenue allotment (IRA) from shrinking.

In a media forum, Abalos proposed to increase the income requirement, currently pegged at P100 million, at least every five years, saying this can be met by municipalities.

Abalos, who was elected president of the League of Cities of the Philippines, said the LCP is currently questioning the conversion of at least 14 towns into cities.

The new cities would affect how the IRA is currently shared by 120 members of LCP.

Under Republic Act 9009, a town should have a locally generated income of at least P100 million annually before it could be classified into a city, and should also either have a land area of at least 100 square kilometers or a population of 150,000.

However, 15 towns had their cityhood bills approved by Congress despite strong opposition from the LCP. The bills sought to convert the towns into cities without complying with the minimum requirement of P100 million in locally generated income, contrary to the requirements of the Local Government Code as amended by RA 9009.

LCP secretary general Calbayog City Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento earlier said the conversion of these “unqualified” towns into cities will set a “bad precedent” and invite a deluge of applications practically from all towns that have the same status, which can now all become cities even without complying with the law.

He said that LCP will be filing similar suits against the other towns as their cityhood bills become law.

The cityhood bills lapse into law should President Arroyo fail to sign or veto them 30 days after they are submitted to Malacañang.

Abalos said cities receive a percentage of a province’s mandatory share of the IRA. He noted that there are cities that are already IRA dependent.

Meanwhile, Abalos clarified yesterday that Mrs. Arroyo has  nothing to do with his election to the LCP’s top post.

Abalos said the President could not have intervened in his favor in the LCP election last Sunday because “there’s no such meeting with her on the eve of the event” but admitted that he presented his team to her earlier this month.

He said Sarmiento voluntarily withdrew his candidacy for president.

“He sacrificed his personal interest over national interest. He earned my respect for that,” Abalos said, adding that it was Sarmiento himself who requested in a meeting some months back that they form the Unity Ticket to strengthen the city governments, regardless of political color, affiliation and region.

Abalos said he campaigned hard for the election and was amply rewarded when his whole ticket ran unopposed in last Sunday’s election.

“This is the first time in LCP history that we are united under one leadership and this happened only now that Abalos was the overwhelming choice of the city mayors,”  Urdaneta Mayor Amadeo Perez, the newly-installed vice president for Luzon of the LCP, said.

Abalos said there is also no truth to reports that opposition mayors in Metro Manila boycotted the event as San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito and Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco voted for him while Pasay City Mayor Peewee Trinidad participated in the actual voting.      – With Non Alquitran