Supreme Court reverses cityhood ruling
MATI, Davao Oriental -- The Supreme Court voting 7-8 on Tuesday reverses its earlier decision affirming the validity of the conversion of 16 municipalities into cities.
The High Court has finally came up with its decision with finality: the 16 cannot be cities, yet, said Mati Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat.
The League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) has questioned the constitutionality of the laws declaring the 16 municipalities into cities.
The LCP questioned the cityhood laws of the 16 towns – Mati, Davao Oriental; Naga, Cebu; Bogo, Cebu; Carcar, Cebu; Baybay, Leyte; Catbalogan, Samar; Tandag, Surigao del Sur; Lamitan, Basilan; Borongan, Samar; Tayabas, Quezon; Tabuk, Kalinga; Bayugan, Agusan del Sur; Batac, Ilocos Norte; Guihulngan, Negros Oriental; Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte; and El Salvador, Misamis Oriental.
Mati Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat admitted having received the information on the final Supreme Court (SC) decision. She expressed grief over the High Court decision but urged her constituents never to lose hope on their cityhood bid as she is hopeful that Mati would still become a city soon.
"We lost, we gave it our best. We fought for our city. It's a sad day for us Matinians. But we have to move on and I still believe that one day soon, we will regain our status as a city," Rabat said.
The legal battle for the cityhood claim was a rollercoaster ride for the League of 16.
On November 18, 2008, the Supreme Court, by a 6-5 vote, nullified the 16 cityhood laws for being violative of the Constitution, specifically its sec. 10, Art. X and the equal protection clause. On March 31, 2009, a divided High Court denied the motion for reconsideration.
On April 28, 2009, the Court, by a 6-6 vote, denied a second motion for reconsideration for being a prohibited pleading. Subsequently, the LGUs filed a motion on May 14, 2009 to amend the April 28, 2009 resolution.
The Court, per its June 2, 2009 resolution, declared the May 14, 2009 motion adverted to as expunged in light of the entry of judgment made on May 21, 2009. The LGUs subsequently filed a motion for reconsideration of the June 2, 2009 resolution.
Then on December 21,2009,, the Supreme Court, by a vote of 6-4, has reversed its November 18, 2008 decision and declared as constitutional the Cityhood Laws or Republic Acts converting 16 municipalities into cities.
The SC then stated that all 16 cityhood laws, enacted after the effectivity of RA 9009 increasing the income requirement for cityhood from PhP20 million to PhP100 million in sec. 450 of the Local Government Code (LGC), explicitly exempt respondent municipalities from the said increased income requirement. (By Ben O. Tesiorna of Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)