It is barely three weeks before the newly elected officials for both national and local positions will be assuming their individual post. But a major requirement for the assumption is of course the taking by the elected officials of their oath of office.
What is worth the people’s watch is the situation in Davao City. It is common knowledge that Mayor-elect former President Rodrigo R. Duterte is now detained in the detention center of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands for his alleged commission of crimes against humanity.
His daughter Vice President Sara Duterte and the former chief executive’s defense team are moving heaven and earth to convince the ICC judges to allow Duterte to come back to the country for him to officially take his oath as the duly elected Davao City Mayor. So far their importuning seems to have hit a blank wall. The ICC judges appear too heavy to push for a chance to have the accused President temporarily allowed a “vacation” to the Philippines.
If nothing changes in the ICC judges’ position then the come-backing mayor will not be able to take his oath. What then will happen to Davao City? Yes, it has elected Vice Mayor Baste Duterte. But what law, or even memorandum order will operate for him to legally assume as mayor of the city? Certainly the mayoral post is not vacant per se because the elected local chief executive has not yet assumed. So the law that mandates the automatic assumption of the Vice Mayor will not apply in the former President’s case.
For this kind of a situation it is our take that the agency that will be in the vortex of the “storm” will be the Department of the Interior and Local Governments (DILG) knowing fully well that local government operation is within its province.
We are hoping that the said agency will come up with its definite course of action on this matter within the soonest possible time. Otherwise the issue will become a hugely gray area and that it can be used as a way of political maneuverings by concerned political groups.
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Now it can be told. There indeed was a draft resolution intending to quash the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Copies of the draft resolution were surreptitiously circulated inside the Senate Hall and later found its way outside. Then the speculations began as to who was or were responsible for the proposed resolution, and whether or not the same measure was indeed for submission to the Senate plenary for adoption.
Of all the senators, came the admission of Davaoeno lawmaker Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa that his office was indeed the one who prepared the draft resolution. Not surprising.
After all, who is Sen. Bato dela Rosa? He definitely is a staunch supporter of the Vice President and possibly willing to do his worst just to shield the Davaoena second highest official of the land.
But will the Senator from Bato, Coronon, Davao del Sur proceed to introduce in the plenary his resolution now that it has been exposed? “Let us to see,” according to the late Davaoeno lawmaker Landring Almendras.
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For now there are two major infrastructure projects in Davao City, the completion of which is very eagerly awaited.
We are referring to the Samal Island-Davao City Connector Bridge (SIDC) and the 47-kilometer by-pass road with a tunnel component that will provide alternate route between Sirawan in Davao del Sur, and in Panabo City, Davao del Norte.
We are hoping that these two projects will continue to be unhampered by the ongoing political squabble between the Davao-based Duterte-led opposition and the Marcos, Jr.-headed administration.
We are certain that the two projects will substantially address the burgeoning vehicular traffic now bedeviling Davao City.
Not only that the projects will result to the gargantuan improvement in economic activities in areas benefitted by the same, these will also boost to a new high the income of the local governments of Davao City, IGaCoS and Panabo City.
Just think of how many times the value of real properties traversed by the by-pass road from the north to south of Davao City will be upgraded.
Think as well of the businesses that will establish branches or locate in Samal once the bridge is completed.
Of course it is a given that in development there will always be sufferers as there are beneficiaries. But in the projects mentioned herein, there is no doubt the beneficiaries will be much more than the number of sufferers.
Hence, these are very much welcome and anticipated by the people in this region of Mindanao.
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