Robredo: Gov’t won’t question SC’s decision on 16 cities

Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines—The flip-flopping of the Supreme Court on the validity of the creation of  16 new cities has affected the bureaucracy –from budgeting to elections -– so Malacañang may no longer question the ruling that favored their creation, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said here on Saturday.

Instead, the court’s unorthodox appreciation of the creation of new cities has been included as a justification for the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona, he said.

Robredo joined President Benigno Aquino’s spokesman, Edwin Lacierda, presidential peace process adviser Teresita Quintos-Deles, Armed Forces deputy chief of staff, Commodore Jose Miguel Rodriguez, and Ifugao Representative Teodoro Baguilat Jr. at the launch of livelihood projects for communities identified with the militia of slain rebel priest Conrado Balweg.

Robredo said the Supreme Court changed its mind four times, entering different judgments on the constitutionality of laws creating the cities of Baybay in Leyte; Bogo in Cebu; Catbalogan in Samar; Tandag in Surigao del Sur; Borongan in Eastern Samar; Tayabas in Quezon; Lamitan in Basilan; Tabuk in Kalinga; Bayugan in Agusan del Sur; Batac in Ilocos Norte; Mati in Davao Oriental; Guihulngan in Negros Oriental; Cabadbaran in Agusan del Norte; Carcar in Cebu; El Salvador in Misamis Oriental; and Naga in Cebu.

The court declared the new cities legal in April, and made its decision final in July.

But Robredo said the court’s fluid set of rulings disrupted the budget process, and the composition of the local governments whose officials were elected in 2010.

“That is why if you ask me if government would again try to reverse this decision, I’d reply, ‘Never mind.’),” he said.

He said the status of the bureaucracy was another reason why Corona was impeached.

Article V of the impeachment complaint against Corona accused him of betraying the public trust because of the “wanton arbitrariness and partiality in consistently disregarding the principle of res judicata (settled matter) in the cases involving the 16 newly created cities, and the promotion of Dinagat Island into a province.”

Robredo said the difficulties affecting Tandag City today illustrate the impact of the court’s multiple decisions on the new cities.

“In Tandag, it elects 10 councilors if it were a city, and eight councilors if it were a municipality. It believed it was a city,” he said.

But the court’s final entry of judgment was issued after budgeting was made to accommodate a municipal council, he said.

He said the condition of Dinagat Island  again reveals the impact of the decisions.

The court reversed its original and supposedly final ruling in March during the court’s summer session here when it declared that Dinagat was a new province. Dinagat is a cluster of islands that formed part of Surigao del Norte.

Robredo said until the Supreme Court again rules with finality, the internal revenue allotment (IRA) intended for Dinagat had been placed under the custody of Surigao del Norte. The IRA represents the share of local governments from taxes collected nationwide.

“But Surigao is uncertain whether it should release Dinagat funds, so three hospitals in Dinagat are currently in limbo and their employees have yet to receive their pay,” he said.

The budgeting process for the next set of IRA has been accomplished, so Dinagat would get its share in 2013 should the court rule finally in its favor, he said.