Lawmaker, mayor slam Aquino advisers

REPRESENTATIVE Bernardo Vergara and Mayor Mauricio Domogan lashed out at advisers of President Benigno Aquino III after the rejection of the proposed amendment of the City Charter.

Vergara said, “Those who have moved for the veto should have love for the city because what they are doing is destroying the entirety of the bill especially its important objectives.”

Vergara said similar measures such as the Autonomy law may also suffer the same fate as the City Charter as those who mislead the President into interpreting certain provisions of the measure will surely oppose it again.

Vergara and Domogan assured they are willing to file the bill again in the House of Representatives stressing the bill will speed up the process of awarding alienable and disposable lands.

Domogan hopes their contention to the veto should clarify things with the President.

He said the measure is important since no original copy of the City Charter exists and is no longer codified, while portions of it is scattered in the administrative code of the city.

He also said the resolution of the boundary dispute between Tuba and Baguio cannot be finalized without the charter as the Local Government Code does not provide a directive for its completion.

Domogan is now mulling the filing of the boundary settlement through the Court.

Domogan warned allies of the President and those who are constantly advising him not to further aggravate the situation as it affects the people of Baguio and the City Government in general.

Both officials claimed they will come up with a letter specifying they are in good faith and believe the President is also in good faith in exercising his veto powers.