Kalinga town takes hit from SC rule on cities

BAGUIO CITY—The city of Tabuk in Kalinga suffered budget deficits when its status as a city changed thrice in five years, its mayor said here on Wednesday.

Tabuk is among the 16 new cities whose status changed each time the Supreme Court ruled on the legal challenge posed by the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP).

In March this year, the high court again affirmed the constitutionality of the laws creating the 16 cities, including Tabuk.

But Tabuk Mayor Ferdinand Tubban said his administration found it difficult to adjust Tabuk’s budget and development plan because the court still has to resolve a motion for reconsideration filed by the LCP this year.

Tubban said two justices, who took part in the deliberations, are also retiring this month, which could affect the outcome of the court decision on the 16 cities.

Because Tabuk lost its city status again when he assumed office in 2010, Tubban said he was faced with unpaid projects which his predecessors had programmed based on a budget designed for cities.

He said the city budget for 2012 still counts on the potential revenue meant for Tabuk as a town, including its projected internal revenue allotment, “until we receive final judgment from the court.”

Tubban was in Baguio to promote the city’s Matagoan Festival on June 23.

Tabuk first became a city in 2007, until the court ruled in 2008 that Republic Act No. 9404 (the law granting Tabuk city status) was unconstitutional, along with laws that created Bayugan City in Agusan del Sur; Baybay City in Leyte; Bogo City, Carcar City and Naga City in Cebu; Borongan City and Catbalogan City in Samar; Tandag City in Surigao del Sur; Lamitan City in Basilan; Tayabas City in Quezon; Batac City in Ilocos Norte; Mati City in Davao Oriental; Guihulngan City in Negros Oriental; Cabadbaran City in Agusan del Norte; and El Salvador City in Misamis Oriental.

But Tabuk reclaimed its city status in 2009, when the high court reversed itself, only to turn back again into a town when the tribunal reinstated its 2008 ruling in 2010.

Tubban said he inherited a city budget which reflected an IRA meant for a city covering the first five months of 2010, and an IRA meant for a town covering the last seven months of last year because of the confusion over its status.

“This was the suggestion made by the DBM (Department of Budget and Management),” he said.

The target IRA would have reached P255 million, but the city ended up with only P144 million by the time it was again downgraded last year to a town.

To cope, Tubban said he began reviewing revenues generated by the Tabuk public market and began collecting arrears amounting to P3 million to help pay the city’s bills.

He said he tried to develop Tabuk’s own economy first, anticipating that cityhood would eventually bring in investments.

Plans to establish Tabuk’s first Jollibee outlet, for instance, is being drawn up, he said.

But when asked if residents have started to believe they now belong to a city, Tubban said: “Maybe … I know many of the opposition groups [who rejected cityhood] now treats Tabuk as a city.” Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon