Bogo, Carcar & Naga not cities anymore

[moz_k2]

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Problems bug 'illegal? cities | Sun.Star Network Online

THE cities of Bogo, Carcar and Naga stand to lose at least P120 million each in their share of internal revenues, after the Supreme Court (SC) invalidated the creation of 16 new cities.
These cuts will force them to freeze some major infrastructure projects, said Carcar City Mayor Patrick Barcenas and City of Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong.
The change will also affect the appointments of the new city schools division superintendents, the chief of the city prosecutor’s office and department heads whose items have already been approved by the Department Budget and Management, said Rep. Eduardo Gullas (Cebu Province, 1st district).
Apart from personnel concerns, the mayors worry about finishing ongoing projects.
How, asked Bogo City Mayor Celestino Martinez Jr., are they supposed to undo the fact that Bogo has already used portions of its increased Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) for more than a year?
The city has also created several new departments and offices using its fatter IRA share.
“If we revert into a town government, what are we going to do?” asked Martinez in a radio dyLA interview.
When Bogo became a city last year, it collected about P180 million as its IRA share for 2008, compared to only about P60 million when it was still a town.
Before Naga became a city, also last year, its IRA share was only P66 million. This year, it ballooned to P186 million.
From P75 million, Carcar’s IRA share also rose to over P200 million this year. Naga has already constructed its nearly P90-million new City Hall at its reclamation area.
Chiong said he had hoped to finish the new public market and build a modern abattoir. Among Barcenas’ proposed projects are a new city hall, public market, bus terminal and diversion roads.
Martinez said he even increased the salaries of several City Hall employees and created offices such as the Bogo City Schools Division, a move made possible by their increased IRA.
Martinez revealed they were planning to build a new City Hall and to develop the town’s diving spots by January 2009.
Because of the SC’s ruling, Martinez said they might freeze the proposed development projects while they file a motion for reconsideration.
But Gullas asked the residents of Naga and Carcar not to worry about the SC decision, saying it’s not final and executory yet.
The Supreme Court, voting 6-5, granted the League of Cities’ petition to undo the laws that created 16 new cities in 2007. It said that Congress violated the criteria set in the Local Government Code, when the legislators exempted the aspiring cities from a higher income requirement.
The SC also ruled that the conversion flouted the equal protection clause of the Constitution “as it prevented a fair and just distribution of the national taxes to local governments.”

[digitalsuperman]

ouch!...............

[Verst Eltone]

"Because of the SC’s ruling, Martinez said they might freeze the proposed development projects while they file a motion for reconsideration.
But Gullas asked the residents of Naga and Carcar not to worry about the SC decision, saying it’s not final and executory yet. "
Here lies a big question...

[zagaboI]

Its been a question sd baya from the start why nahimo silang city. And mao sad ni ang ground why giquestion to. kahinumdum mo dugay kaayo ni sila nadeclare? And karon ra jud naddesisyunan ni

[colossus]

The Supreme Court already ruled on the matter. They should respect the decision or file a motion for reconsideration, if such legal remedy is still feasible under the circumstances. But it will be difficult to persuade the Supreme Court to overturn its decision if I may say.

Since the decisions of the Supreme Court form part of the laws of the land, we should just respect it. For sure, the Supreme Court cited reasons for stating that the cityhood of these cities is in conflict with the Constitution.

[estor_boot]

blame the LGU officials of this municipalities who were so eager to convert their municipalities into cities because they were drooling on that bigger IRA. bigger budget means the 20% is bigger too.

[septemberboy]

no grabe gyd ani ato government wa gyd klaro..nidako na bya ang tax ani kay city.....mkalaogt gyd ni cla da

tnx bro sa knowledge

[moz_k2]

the result of cutting corners.
ila ra tingali giapas nga dako nga budget nga ihatag kung ma city na sila

[seven_segment]

blame the LGU officials of this municipalities who were so eager to convert their municipalities into cities because they were drooling on that bigger IRA. bigger budget means the 20% is bigger too.

in which...dili ganahan ang Capitol...

saon na lang...gamay na lang ang income sa capitolyo...kung CITY na tanang lungsod

sa Cebu...

lipaya sa naglingkod sa Capitol ani...wahehehe...

joke!

[seven_segment]

pitiful decisions jud sa SC..

why man sad ang Local Government (LG) on these respective municipalities nag buot buot man ug raise sa ilang municipality into Cityhood w/o reading or consulting thoroughly the bylaws of the Constitution.

Mao lagi nang mag una una dayon ug decision w/o prior consent sa higher authorities. If what the local municipal authorities are basing on the local Gross Revenue of their respective towns as the basis of becoming a cityhood, then they might be wrong, there are many more things to consider before their place becomes a cityhood.

Though also, I am suspecting there are or is a higher Cebuano bigwig/s (congressmen/s especially, someone who has close ties with this administration) who 'might be' behind this recent move to demote these respective municipalities.

IMHO

wa nay lin pa...capitolyo...wakekeke

hehehe...