Allowing the 17 mayors of Metro Manila to legislate ordinances will only bypass the powers of the city councilors and vice mayors, Quezon City District 1 Councilor Peter Anthony “Onyx” Crisologo said.
In an interview with Manila Standard, Crisologo, however, clarified the Metro Manila Councilors League, headed by Caloocan City District 2 Carolyn Cunanan, voted to give the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority more teeth to implement uniform policies and build stronger cooperation among the 16 cities and one municipality within the National Capital Region.
Crisologo was reacting to House Bill No. 5057 authored by Marikina City Rep. Bayani Fernando, a former MMDA chief, to expand the powers and functions of the MMDA and allow the Metro Manila Council”•the authority’s governing body made up of the 17 mayors”•to create and approve ordinances.
“That could usurp the power of each and every local government unit. A conflict may arise,” the QC councilor told Manila Standard. “Also, it would just create another problem should there be a shift to federalism.”
The power to author, deliberate and approve resolutions and ordinances is vested upon the councilors during regular sessions presided by their respective vice mayors, Crisologo asserted.
On Aug. 9, the MMCL represented by Crisologo as director, Cunanan as president, internal vice president Rovin Andrew Feliciano, and auditor Ethel Joy Arriola took part in the technical working group meeting of the House of Representatives’ Metro Manila development committee to discuss HB 5057.
Even the NCR Vice Mayors’ League raised concern over Fernando’s proposal to expand the metro mayor’s legislative functions, Crisologo said.
“It is our power to legislate, and not within the powers of the mayors,” he said.
If Fernando’s measure is passed, the MMDA would be “that all powerful,” Crisologo noted.
On the other hand, Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo authored HB 4642, which would allow the MMDA to review development permits for land development projects with metro-wide transport and traffic impacts.
The bill also intends to deputize members of the Philippine National Police, traffic enforcers of local government units, duly licensed security guards, or members of non-governmental organizations for traffic rules enforcement.
According to Crisologo, the House committee on Metro Manila development invited the NCR mayors and vice mayors to participate in the third and final discussion of its technical working group meeting on Monday and give their inputs on the proposed measures.
