Friday, November 21, 2008 Despite verdict, projects to continue: mayors
MAYORS of the three local government units (LGUs) in Cebu whose conversion into cities was found unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (SC) assured constituents yesterday that their projects will continue.
Bogo Mayor Celestino “Junie” Martinez Jr. said their new market project and commercial district will push through despite the SC ruling.
Martinez said Bogo already passed its P230-million 2009 budget.
Resolution
The city will file a motion for reconsideration once they receive the court ruling that declared illegal the conversion of 16 towns into cities, for failing to meet requirements set in the Local Government Code.
Although they have not yet received a copy of the ruling, Martinez said they hope the SC will hasten resolution of the case once they submit their motion.
“There is progress in the city. Investors are still optimistic about investing (in Bogo),” he said.
The 2009 budgets of the cities of Carcar and Naga, however, still have to be approved by their city councils.
Naga City Mayor Valdemar Chiong said the City is bent on approving the P260-million proposed budget next year despite the SC verdict. Naga’s annual budget this year
is only P150 million.
Should the SC affirm that Naga’s conversion is unconstitutional, Chiong said they have no other recourse but to adjust budgetary items, which may include slashing salaries of City Hall employees.
Projects
A huge chunk of the proposed P260 million, according to Chiong, is allocated for land acquisition, expansion of the city’s reclamation project and the construction of a new city hall.
Chiong is still confident that his pet projects will push through even if the city’s status is downgraded to that of a municipality.
For his part, Carcar Vice Mayor Nicepuro Apura said they have to wait for the advice from the Department of Budget of Management (DBM) before approving their annual budget next year.
Apura said that if the DBM says they can allocate P200 million for 2009, they might have to lower it.
“We’ll be cautious, in case we don’t get recognized,” he said.
Like Naga, Carcar City is set to construct diversion roads, a new public market, bus terminal and slaughterhouse among its major infrastructure projects next year.
Mixed feelings
The SC ruling, meanwhile, drew mixed feelings from Toledo City Mayor Arlene Zambo.
“I feel happy and sad at the same time because these are our fellow mayors,” said Zambo, secretary of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) in Central Visayas.
But while she sympathized with local officials of the three new cities in Cebu, she said the High Tribunal’s decision only affirmed the LCP’s view that most of the LGUs that applied for cityhood did not pass the basic requirements of the law.
Zambo told radio dyLA that they only did their part to support the collegial stance of the LCP, which questioned the conversion of the 16 towns into cities.
She defended the LCP against accusations that greed was behind its objection to the new cities created in 2007.
Zambo said she is not against the conversion as long as the legal process is completely followed.
She admitted, however, that at least P32 million was cut from LCP member-cities after Congress approved the conversion of the 16 LGUs. (GC/GMD)
