No time for cha-cha, says Navotas mayor amid efforts to beat pandemic

MANILA, Philippines — Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco on Wednesday said local executives have no time to tackle charter change, with efforts at staving off the adverse effects of the coronavirus pandemic on their constituents being their priority.

“Honestly, kung iaasa sa amin iyan [charter change], we don’t have time to even talk about it and to even think about it or even read materials that they will send to us,”  Tiangco said over Kapihan sa Manila Bay press conference when asked if they are pressured by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), which is pushing for amendments in the 1987 Constitution.

“I would be very honest, hindi kaya. Sa Navotas, hindi ko kaya. Ako, bilang, mayor hindi ko na kayang isipin yan sa panahon ngayon,” the mayor added.

(We cannot do it. In Navotas, we can’t do it. As the mayor, I cannot think about that during this time.)

Navotas government will focus on the immediate rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, Tiangco pointed out.

“Ang kailangan isipin natin ngayon, Covid-19. Papaano maroll-out yung vaccine nang mas mabilis? Papaano makabangon ang ating kababayan?” Tiangco said.

(What we should tackle right now is Covid-19. How can we immediately roll out the vaccines? How can we help our countrymen?)

On Tuesday, the House committee on constitutional amendments approved the resolution that amends the restrictive economic provisions in the 1987 charter while maintaining the prohibition on foreign ownership of land.

In a previous House inquiry, DILG spokesman Jonathan Malaya said more than 1,000 local chief executives expressed support on the surgical tweaks to the constitution.

As of Tuesday, Navotas City has 5,619 total Covid-19 infections with 49 active cases, 5,395 recoveries and 175 deaths.

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EDV