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Cityhood laws C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S Jonathan De la Cruz 03/09/2011

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Cityhood laws

C.R.O.S.S.R.O.A.D.S
Jonathan De la Cruz
03/09/2011
The “Cityhood Laws” were those passed in the last two Congresses converting 16 municipalities into cities whose constitutionality became the subject of heated challenges before the Supreme Court. The petitioner League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) which groups the existing cities under its then President Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Trenas and, in their personal capacities, Calbayog City Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento and Trenas himself petitioned the high court to junk the said laws for being unconstitutional and “violative of the equal protection clause.” In its ruling dated Nov. 18, 2008, the court en banc by a vote of 6-5 granted the petitions and struck down the cityhood laws. The respondent 16 cities filed a motion for reconsideration which the court en banc denied on March 31, 2009 by a 7-5 vote. A month after, on April 28, 2009 the high tribunal by a 6-6 vote issued a resolution denied a second motion for reconsideration on the ground that the same was a prohibited pleading. However, the respondent 16 cities persisted and found solace in the court’s June 2, 2009 resolution which clarified its earlier decision and took cognizance of the second motion for reconsideration. It then handed another decision on Dec. 21, 2009 declaring the cityhood laws constitutional by a vote of 6-4. The petitioners questioned this decision and urged the court to reinstate its earlier rulings which the court through a resolution dated Aug. 24, 2010 voted 7-6 to set aside. Finally, after almost a year of review, the high court on Feb. 15, 2011 affirned the constitutionality of the said cityhood laws by the same 7-6 vote. That is latest ruling on this much discussed and reviewed case and will stay until it is overturned..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20110309com4.html

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