Ormoc Council to SC: Stop conversion of 16 new cities

ORMOC CITY , Philippines  — The City Council, during its regular session last week, approved a resolution "calling the Supreme Court to stop the illegal conversion of 16 towns into cities, protect the Local Government Code, uphold the rule of law and respect the Constitution."

The resolution was an act of joining the fight of the League of Cities of Philippines (LCP) versus the alleged "illegal conversion" of the 16 towns into new cities.

The SC on a vote of 7-6 with two abstentions flip-flopped for the third time on this case, which involved Eastern Visayas towns of Baybay in Leyte, Borongan in Eastern Samar and Catbalogan in Samar.

The resolution pointed out that it was for the third time that the Supreme Court has changed its mind on the cityhood of the 16 towns causing "confusion and instability in the planning process of Philippine cities," and that it would "seriously impair and adversely affect the delivery of basic public services."

While it mentioned anew the reduction of the internal revenue allotment of the old cities, it further contended that the "League of Cities is not opposed to the creation of cities per se," but objected to the conversion of towns that failed to comply with constitutional requirements.

The resolution added that "the LCP has endorsed and supported the conversion into cities of towns like Biñan and Dasmariñas" and that it is "ready to endorse the conversion of qualified towns including Bacoor, Imus, Cabuyao and other progressive towns, which may be determined to qualify for conversion."

The resolution also "calls on the Ormocanons and the rest of the Filipino people to safeguard the SC as the last bastion of democracy and the final arbiter of our judicial and constitutional issues."