Impeachment case to delay Baguio charter’s approval

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY— The Senate committee on local governments, city officials and stakeholders said the impending filing of the impeachment case against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez will likely delay immediate passage of the proposed revision of this city’s century-old charter.

Sen. Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., chairman of the Senate committee on local governments, admitted during Wednesday’s public hearing the impeachment case will be a major obstacle in the bid of the city to have a new charter.

Rep. Bernardo M. Vergara, Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan and municipal officials of Tuba, Benguet expressed their gratitude to Marcos and members of his committee for initiating the initial public hearing to move the pending bill.

Sen. Gregorio Honasan, a member of the committee who attended the public hearing, said the appropriate Senate committee will furnish the city government with the pending national land use code which is now being heard in the Senate so that the amendments to the charter will be synchronized in order to prevent further conflicts in the future once both bills are enacted into law.

According to Marcos, the revision of Baguio City’s charter will be instrumental in charting the city’s development thrusts which will be the legacy of the present officials to the future generations of Baguio residents.

Domogan informed the committee major objectives of the revised city charter will be delineation of the city’s boundary with the municipality of Tuba, Benguet to get its original land area of 57.4 square kilometers after the latter encroached into a portion of the city property.