Parañaque vice mayor fights with council over land taxes

MANILA, Philippines - Parañaque Vice Mayor Gustavo Tambunting said yesterday he “temporarily” relinquished his post as presiding officer of the city council over an ordinance prescribing new real property tax rates for the city.

“I personally felt it did not follow the procedure,” he told The STAR. Tambunting stepped down as presiding officer from Oct. 6 until the ordinance was ratified on Oct. 13.

He said the city assessor submitted a proposed assessment schedule of market values for the different land classes in the city. The law states that the assessment should be presented “as it is” during a public hearing, but the 11 councilors allegedly “presented a different draft” of the ordinance during the hearing.

“Any amendment should be done after the public consultation,” he said.

Tambunting said among those removed were the classification of lands.

In the ordinance passed last Oct. 16, the council again included the classification, which Tambunting said was removed from the draft during the consultation.