ORMOC City Mayor Richard Gomez and Maasin City Mayor Nacional Mercado from Eastern Visayas were elected as officers of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP).

Gomez was elected as Public Relations Officer (PRO), while Mercado is the regional representative for Eastern Visayas, serving seven cities in the region.

Mercado, who is now in his second term, said one of their concerns as city mayors is on how much internal revenue allocation (IRA) should local government units (LGUs) receive.

“We have to make resolutions or reconsiderations/appeal for national line agencies like to fast-track the implementation of the bigger share of IRA’s from Supreme Court decision Mandanas vs Ochoa and other more concerns,” said Mercado.

He added that the Department of Budget and Management should implement the Supreme Court's decision the soonest possible time.

In its decision, the high court said LGUs should get a bigger share from the IRA.

It also cited Article X, Section 6 of the Philippine Constitution, which provided three mandates: (1) the LGUs shall have a just share in the national taxes; (2) the just share shall be determined by law; and (3) the just share shall be automatically released to the LGUs.

President Rodrigo Duterte administered the mass oath-taking of the newly elected officers of the LCP, along with the Liga ng mga Barangay (LNB) at the Reception Hall of Malacañan Palace Tuesday, August 6, 2019.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia was elected as the national president of the LCP. (SunStar Philippines)