Amending Baguio’s charter

EDITORIAL

AS the Summer Capital celebrates its 107^th charter anniversary, the city’s congressional representative Marquez Go filed House Bill 1555to revise Baguio's charter at the House of Representatives.

Go's House Bill 1555 or "An Act Revising the Charter of the City of Baguio" seeks to update the current charter to include “effective implementation” of the city government's land use development plan.

Go said the proposed measure also seeks the settlement of the boundary dispute of the city with the neighboring Tuba town in Benguet. The bill also tries to address the disposition of alienable and disposable public lands with the Baguio town site reservation.

The revision in the city's charter also sought to create "a more responsive taxation system and revenue generating projects," Go told newsmen. In 2014, former President Benigno Aquino III rejected amendments to the city charter, particularly on tenurial rights and land disposition.

Aquino vetoed a similar House Bill 3759, insisting that the objectives of the bill relating to local governmental powers are covered by the Local Government Code of 1991.

"The proposed measure impinges on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ exclusive mandate over control and supervision of alienable and disposable public lands, and runs counter to the laws governing the disposition of townsite reservations," Aquino said, explaining his decision to junk the proposed law.

Aquino said Section 35 of the proposed amended charter is "ambiguous as to the entity that may dispose of alienable and disposable lands which are part of the townsite reservation."

The charter was enacted in 1909 under the American colonial government. Amendments to the charter were first introduced in 2001 by then congressman, now Mayor Mauricio Domogan.

Go's proposal put the cart ahead of the horse. Public consultations on the matter should have been done on the matter first before House Bill 1555 was filed in the Lower House.

Amending the city 107-year-old charter needs a more comprehensive and democratic process to get the pulse of city constituents or even that of nearby Benguet towns. Did Go, by the way, consult the city mayor and city council before filing HB 1555?