City mayors fear ill-effect of latest cityhood ruling

MANILA, Philippines – With more than half of the country’s population dwelling in cities, the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) said the delivery of social services will be severely affected in the cityhood conversion of 16 towns.

During their national general assembly of the city mayors in Manila Wednesday, Alaminos Mayor Hernani Braganza, secretary-general of the LCP, said around P3.7 billion will be slashed from the internal revenue allotment (IRA) of the existing 122 cities.

He said nearly all of the current cities will suffer a  P20 million deduction from their respective IRA, with Puerto Princesa in Palawan suffering the biggest cut at P200 million.

“Of course it will affect the services that we render to our constituents, and to nearby towns which are also enjoying the cities’ services,” he said.

He added that the decision of the Supreme Court, validating the cityhood of 16 towns, will result to the loss of jobs of more than 11,000 workers.

Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn also feared the effect of the recent ruling, saying their development programs were stalled on the “yearly flip-flopping of the SC.”

“Kailan matatapos ito? Hindi kami makagawa ng definite development programs, fearing that the SC will again change its decision,” he said, explaining that his city is mostly dependent on the government-appropriated revenue funds.

“We appeal for reconsideration on the decision, as Puerto Princesa’s incomes are mostly base on the IRA and we will severely suffer from the decision,” he reiterated.

For his part, San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez, national president of the LCP, cited that they are not preventing the conversion of 16 towns “provided that they qualify in the provisions of the Local Government Code”.

Under the law, the three requirements for a town’s cityhood are P100 million locally generated earnings; at least 150,000 populations; and 10,000 hectares land area.

But despite the failure of the 16 towns to meet the requirements, the SC ruled on the constitutionality of their cityhood conversion, lamented Rodriguez.

He added that while the per capita expenditure of the 16 towns will improve, those of the 122 cities will shrink.

“There are more people who will more losers than gainers,” he noted.

MOTION FOR RECONSIDERATION

Meantime, the city mayors, together with their supporters, filed their motion for reconsideration, asking for another reversal on the latest ruling of the High Tribunal.

Trooping at the SC Wednesday morning, the LCP insisted that the 16 town must comply with the requirements provided by the law

“They (the SC justices) must uphold the rule of law,” Rodriguez pointed out.

Former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., primary author of the Local Government Code, supported that stand of the LCP, saying the provisions enshrined in the Constitution must be strictly observed.

While he admitted that Congress has the power to exempt the 16 municipalities in the cityhood requirements, he said it needs the “amendments of the entire Code”.

“They cannot just simply exempt these municipalities without amending the entire Local Government Code,” he pointed.

RENEWED BATTLE

The squabble on cityhood ruling erupted anew when the SC issued a decision last Feb. 15, declaring the conversion of 16 towns as constitutional. But it has been the third “flip-flop” of the Higher Court since it issued the first decision in 2008.

On its first ruling, the SC declared the cityhood laws as unconstitutional in November 2008. But the LCP filed a motion for reconsideration, convincing the Higher Court to declare it constitutional in December 2009.

It again ruled that the cityhood laws were unconstitutional in August 2010, and lately reversed it as constitutional last February.

In 2007, Congress declared the conversion of 24 towns into cities. In the process of court litigations, eight municipalities withdrew its intention to be converted.

Only 16 towns were left, namely, Baybay (Leyte); Bogo (Cebu); Catbalogan (Samar); Tandag (Surigao del Sur); Borongan (Eastern Samar); Tayabas (Quezon province); Lamitan (Basilan); Tabuk (Kalinga); Bayugan (Agusan del Sur); Batac (Ilocos Norte); Mati (Davao Oriental); Guihulngan (Negros).