Some
readers queried about our Sangguniang Panlungsod updates which did not come out
last Sunday. We made it a point to update our readers on the vital pieces of legislations
passed by the 9th Sangguning Panlungsod of Tagbilaran through this corner especially
on Sunday issues.
While
we wrote our piece for last Sunday's issue, we were still about to hold our special
session last Saturday afternoon. Yes, we repeat, Saturday afternoon. We have to
work overtime due to our failure to hold the regular session last Wednesday in
view of our official trip to Bangkok and Singapore last week.
The
local government code mandates that local legislative bodies must hold a session
at least once every week.
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The
special session of the city council last Saturday afternoon was presided over
by Vice-Mayor Nuevas T. Montes together with City Councilor Jose Antonio S. Veloso
as the majority floorleader.
Pending
consideration by the city lawmakers is a proposed ordinance filed by City Councilor
Archie Sarmiento regulating the display of billboards, buntings, streamers and
other forms of announcement within the territorial jurisdiction of the city.
The
measure will be tackled again in today's regular session.
Tomorrow,
the committee on appropriation will also conduct a marathon budget hearing to
deliberate on the proposed 2007 general budget of the city.
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In
this corner last Sunday, we amplified our opposition to the constituent assembly
planned by Speaker Jose de Venecia and the administration allies in the Lower
House. It's
good that the House Speaker backtracked in his bid and opted for constitutional
convention.
To
the uninitiated, there are three modes of changing the constitution: people's
initiative, constitutional convention and constituent assembly. The first mode
has been shot down by the Supreme Court in the case of Lambino and Aumentado versus
Commission on Elections decided last Oct. 25.
The
constituent assembly (ConAss) pushed by the Lower House was met with massive public
outcry has administration congressmen allegedly railroaded the passage of House
Resolution No. 197 calling Congress to convene as a constituent assembly. As of
yesterday, congressmen shelved the move.
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We
are definitely against the ConAss pushed by the Lower House as of last week However,
we made it clear that we support an amendment to the constitution but certainly
not at this time, later perhaps.
As
to the mode in changing the charter, we do not have any specific choice because
the three modes provided by the Constitution itself have both advantages and disadvantages.
It
is our considered opinion that a charter change must not be carried out in an
abrupt fashion. There's no such thing as a quickie cha-cha. It's only in the dance
floor.
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