A TOTAL of 18 existing Davao City ordinances are obsolete or no longer applicable, a Davao City councilor said.
City Council majority floor leader J. Melchor Quitain said Tuesday, October 8, that the these ordinances are still being deliberated by the committee on rules, privileges, laws and ordinances, which he heads.
Quitain said the existing ordinances are no longer applicable since some were enacted in the 1970s.
"Some of these ordinances have been overtaken by events, but they still exist on our records. So they are still existing, which means it could still be implemented," he told reporters.
He said some of the ordinances are either recommendable to be repeal, or full or minor amendments.
Last week, the council repealed City Ordinance 1004-74, series of 1974, which states that "prohibiting the loosening of animals providing the catching of the same and impounding, collection of fees for keeping them during the impounding and providing further its disposition when claimed for a certain period and providing penalty."
Quitain said the proposed amendment was no longer necessary as it was already embodied under Section 124 of Ordinance 1291-17, Series of 2017 or the Ordinance amending the 2005 Revenue Code of the City of Davao, otherwise known as the 2017 Revenue Code of the City of Davao.
He also said the existing Anti-Littering Ordinance was also repealed due to the existing City Ordinance 0371-10 or the Davao City Ecological Solid Waste Management Ordinance of 2009.
Meanwhile, the council approved under second reading the amendment of Section 2 of Ordinance 0332-68, series of 1968, known as "An ordinance prohibiting the defacing, scribbling and/or writing on the walls of public and private buildings and/or fences exposed to the public view, and providing penalties for the violation thereof."
Under the amendment, there will be an increase of penalty against vandals to P3,000 to P5,000 in a bid to discourage them from vandalizing properties.
Quitain said there is a need for the revision or abolition of obsolete ordinances, particularly in the penalty side since previously ordinances only set two-digit penalties, which will not deter violations.
He also said the city is currently drafting the revision of the Davao City Code of Ordinances, which was revised 10 years ago.
"Karon nagahimo ta og Code of Ordinances na kanang libro mismo, na naa tanang ordinances diria sa Davao City. So syempre ibutang nato didtoa is mga ordinances na magamit pa (We are currently working on a book of the Code of Ordinances here in Davao City. Of course, we need to place these ordinances which are still applicable)," Quitain said, adding there have been many newly-enacted ordinances that were not included in the previous version of the Code.
The councilor also said the Code will be read by other cities and municipalities and it will serve as their basis and inspiration for the crafting of their respective ordinances and resolution.
He said the council aims to revise or repeal these 18 ordinances within the 19th City Council.
Meanwhile, the council is also eyeing to create 24 landmark ordinances as mandated by Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte.