Re Cityhood Laws

Since it was Congress which put the League of 16 into this kind of trouble, they also have to solve the problems that the League of 16 will have to face now that the Supreme Court decided with finality in favor of the League of Cities of the Philippines.

Congress was supposed to shield the municipalities which have already filed for cityhood from the provisions of RA 9009 which increased the income requirements from just P 20 M to P 100 M. But it did not do what was proper. Instead Congress passed the amendment without giving those who have already filed for cityhood the necessary "immunity" as a sign of respect for their having already qualified for cityhood as per old requirement.

Now the League of 16 will have to face many problems due to decreased IRA with most of them even have to squeeze everything into only a fourth of their supposed to be "city" IRA. What will happen now to the programs, projects and activities of these poor LGUs?

For just one year, they enjoyed the privilege of not begging for funds from the national government and so being independent from political attachments to funds from Senators and Congressmen. But now they have to beg on their knees again in order to sustain their PPAs.

The worst to be affected will be the poor people of these "citylings". Where will the LGUs get their funds now for medicines, assistance to indigents, support for senior citizens, persons with disabilities and women and children in trouble? And so many other ...

Congress must wake up and do something before everything else goes out of hand - before these LGUs go bankrupt and unable to sustain their operations and become mere "barangays" instead of municipalities.

November is so just around the Corner

As per latest Comelec decision, the deadline for the filing of the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) of a person who will be running for public office in the 2010 National and Local Elections will be on November 30, 2009.

This means that interested individuals will have to face a very "merry" Christmas especially in areas where people look up to public officials - and candidates to public office - as "Santa Clauses". People and groups of people would surely be flocking to houses of candidates during the carolling season. It could be occasions of premature "corruption" and "vote-buying". And see just who and what groups would be there to take advantage of the situation.

Candidates who will try to "escape" will surely find themselves having a lot of "explanining" to do during the campaign period. Candidates who will not give as much as "expected" will also carry the burden of negative feedbacks.

The Comelec may benefit from such decision for early filing of COCs but candidates will surely have less to be happy about it particularly in areas where "vote-buying" is rampant and people "believe" that only during election do they really receive something from the government or from public officials.

The DILG and the Supreme Court

Functionaries of the City of Borongan listen to LGA Executive Director Marivel C. Sacendoncillo as she explained the purpose of the DILG initiative to prepare the League of 16 for the worst case scenario with regards to their status as cities. To her right is DILG Regional Director William C. Paler.

DILG is trying to prepare the League of 16 for the worst case scenario, that is, if the Supreme Court decides with finality that the 16 cityhood laws are unconstitutional.

But instead of being warmly received as a form of assistance, it is being questioned and being thought of as a ploy to condition the affected LGUs to accept "defeat" and willingly bow down to a negative Supreme Court decision even though it has not yet decided. Some see the consultation dialogues as pre-mature and that attending it or providing the DILG the data it is asking is not good.

Instead the LGUs seems to be asking the DILG to help them influence the Supreme Court in deciding a favorable one for them.

Looks like some form of inconsistency.

We look up at the Supreme Court as an independent branch of government co-equal with the Executive and the Legislative branches. As such they are supposed to be an independent body whose decision have to be free from any pressure or influence from another co-equal branch of government.

But now we seem to be hoping that the DILG, a department under the Executive Department or perhaps the Executive Department itself, ought to help in asking the SC to decide in our favor. If it was possible and moral it would have been very welcome indeed. Yet it would somehow put the institution to question as to its status as an independent branch of government and that might lead to a Constitutional crisis.

The best way perhaps is to wait for the final decision of the SC. But while waiting for it, it won't probably hurt to prepare for the worst case scenario. We really don't know everything about the DILG initiative but for now it seems a mere move to prepare the League of 16 for any eventuality.

It's up to the League of 16 to accept the initiative of the DILG and be given the help in case of the Supreme Court retaining their initial decision or dump the offer and be caught offguard.

New Year's Resolution #7

Another important resolution that we can make is to be more devoted and committed to our jobs. It is good to dream of being in another person's shoes especially when he or she is getting all those benefits and perhaps citations and accolades "because he or she is in a position that is better or more rewarding", etc.

But maybe we could be content with what we have for now and do our best to make it a more rewarding one. And maybe that's what we really lack in order to be noticed and be given something else which could respond to what we are hoping or aspiring for.

New Year's Resolution #6

One of the best resolutions that we could make is to be deserving of every centavo that we receive from the government. Through the various fields, skills and capabilities we can do so. It is not right to be receiving benefits from the government without doing what you are supposed to do and without contributing what you can contribute in order to make your agency an efficient and effective arm of the government in the achievement of a better delivery of services to the people.

New Year's Resolution #5

Another important resolution that we ought to make and do is to be what we are supposed to be: public servants.

Sometimes we seem to forget that we live out of the taxes paid by the people and supposedly we've got to give them our fullest respect, courtesy and efficient service. But sometimes it's the other way around. These people whom we have sworn to serve and who are supposed to be providing us with the benefits that we receive being the government's taxpayers are sometimes treated like they are the ones who owe us our precious time, and that they have to wait if they want to be served.

It might be true that not everyone of them religiously pay their taxes. But fact is that we are public servants and it is our foremost duty and responsibility to serve them and not to make them feel they are bothering us in whatever we are doing - especially those personal things that do not have direct relation to what we are in government service for.

Hence the next time these people come to our office, let us be more friendly and share those precious smiles, and be ready to serve them as efficiently as possible.

New Year's Resolution #4

There are some of us who do not only violate punctuality but attendance itself. They would absent from office and yet they won't record their absence. This is complete disregard of public service and must not be done anymore.

Hence our next resolution should be to be present always or at least to be honest enough to record one's absence. Okay, you may not be able to receive an award or citation from the government for this because after all no one can nominate one self, and because your officemates or agencymates are so unfair they won't nominate you even if you probably deserve to earn an award.

But if you still believe in God probably it would suffice to be reminded about the truth about heaven and hell.

Or have the secular world already made you a virtual atheist though you still go to Church?