The city council committee on laws is being urged to act as a working group to elaborate the contents of the 2022 revised city charter.
In a proposed resolution, Councilor Jose Molintas said the bills that lapsed into Republic Act 11689 or the 2022 Revised City Charter without a plebiscite leaves the people of Baguio City no chance to openly discuss the effects of the law in their lives.
“There is an urgent need to constitute the committee on laws to act as a working group that will meet once a month at a public place to receive comments, reactions and recommendations,” Molintas said.
Also, he said the working group would make a report to the council and later to the office of Rep. Marquez Go for appropriate action.
Molintas cited city council Resolution 144, s. 2022, which requested former President Rodrigo Duterte to veto then House Bill 8882 and Senate Bill 2163 to give ample time for public consultation to address issues and concerns.
He said the revised charter also ambiguously makes the city a component city of Benguet by requiring the city secretary to submit all ordinances and resolutions to the Benguet provincial board for review, instead of its original state as an independent and highly urbanized city which is not subject of review by Benguet.
The working group is also tasked to invite representative in the academe, Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Baguio Benguet chapter, government agencies, and barangay officials to submit reactions, comments, and recommendations.
HB 8882, which sought the new charter, lapsed into law on April 11 and was designated as RA 11689.
Authored by Go, RA 11689 has updated the city charter incorporating current policies and bureaucracies. – Ofelia C. Empian
