Mayors pushing for more funds, jobs, not lifting of term limits -Chavit

The country's league of town mayors was only pushing for more funds and job opportunities for their constituents when they proposed amendments to the 1987 constitution, Narvacan, Ilocos Sur Mayor Luis "Chavit" Singson said on Monday.

In a statement, Singson said the League of Municipalities of the Philippines  “merely exercised its mandate to crystalize and articulate issues affecting municipal government administration in endorsing the proposed constitutional reforms."

The league is made up of the 1,488 town mayors in the country.

“Our statement of support is the collective stand of our national directorate. We have to think of the future as well as the welfare of our constituents,” Singson said.

He added that any scenario for “no elections” in 2022 “never entered the minds” of the municipal mayors when they discussed the matter.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the proposal for Cha-cha was only intended for the 2022 elections to be postponed and for the removal of term limits of some elected officials.

"Hindi tama 'yan e. Regardless kung kailan gagawin ay hindi puwedeng ipagpaliban ang halalan sa 2022 o alisin ang term limits," Drilon said.

Drilon said senators, particularly those in the minority bloc, were ready to shut off any moves to amend the Constitution.

"Handa ang minority na lumaban dito. Si Senate President Sotto, sinasabi niya iba ang priority namin. So chances of it being passed in the Senate is very small," he said.

Singson denied the mayors were pushing for a no-election scenario.

“Siguro sa utak niya talagang itutulak nila ang no-el scenario na pag-usapan kasi kailangan ng oposisyon ng pambanat kay presidente," Singson said referring to Drilon.

"Pero sa aming mga mayor, kailangan namin ng dagdag na pondo at mga trabaho para sa aming mga botante lalo na’t hirap ang ekonomiya ngayong may COVID-19 pandemic tayo,” he added.

He also said municipal mayors see the lack of resources as a “hindrance to their current capability” to manage the pandemic because it “prevented the setting up of adequate hospital care facilities that would have kept the spread of the virus.”

“Bigger share in the national taxes would mean even the poor towns will have a fair share of the taxes, which means now we can think of improving health care and putting up adequate care facilities in our municipalities,” Singson said.

“Now we need to send some of our residents infected by COVID-19 to facilities in the capital which means somewhere along the way the risk of infection by anyone is very high,” he added.

Moreover, Singson said the proposed lifting of the restrictions on foreign investments is also needed as more jobs could be generated in the regions.

“(The) removal of foreign investment restrictions on some industries warrants the support of our member-municipalities especially as this will create more employment opportunities in their localities. LMP deeply acknowledges the fact that senators are doing their best to improve the country's investment climate,” he said.

“Drilon’s stand that there is no need to amend the Constitution to benefit poor municipalities is a warning for us not to take any chances and get this amendment before 2022 comes,” Singson added.

He also said the support given by the LMP to the two proposed constitutional amendments of the constitutional reform “should not be construed as intentions to forestall the 2022 national elections.”

On Wednesday, the LMP formally endorsed its support to the proposed constitutional reforms to Interior Secretary Eduardo Año.

Drilon said he was optimistic that the proposal of the mayors would not fly in the Senate. -NB, GMA News