AN ACT CONVERTING THE MUNICIPALITY OF NAVOTAS INTO A HIGHLY URBANIZED CITY TO BE KNOWN AS THE CITY OF NAVOTAS

Case Overview and Summary

Summary of Republic Act No. 9387 - Charter of the City of Navotas

General Provisions
- Converts the Municipality of Navotas into a highly urbanized city to be known as the City of Navotas. (Section 2)
- Grants the City corporate powers, including perpetual succession, suing and being sued, having a corporate seal, acquiring and conveying property, entering into contracts, and exercising powers granted to corporations. (Section 3)
- Grants the City general powers, including levying taxes, opening and closing roads, acquiring and disposing of property, expropriating private property for public use, and contracting. (Section 4)
- Allows the City to exercise powers necessary for efficient and effective governance, promotion of general welfare, preservation of culture, promotion of health and safety, environmental protection, scientific and technological development, economic prosperity, social justice, full employment, peace and order, and comfort of inhabitants. (Section 5)
- Holds the City liable for damages arising from acts or omissions of its officers or employees. (Section 6)
- Defines the City's jurisdiction for police purposes and protection of water supply. (Section 7)

City Officials
- Lists the various officials of the City, including the City Mayor, Vice Mayor, Sangguniang Panlungsod members, department heads, and other officers. (Section 8)
- Outlines the qualifications, powers, and duties of the City Mayor, including formulating policies, implementing programs, appointing officials, representing the City, carrying out emergency measures, and other duties prescribed by law. (Section 9)
- Outlines the qualifications, powers, and duties of the City Vice Mayor, including presiding over the Sangguniang Panlungsod, assuming the office of the City Mayor in case of vacancy, and other duties prescribed by law. (Section 10)
- Establishes the Sangguniang Panlungsod as the legislative body of the City, composed of the Vice Mayor, regular members, sectoral representatives, and other members as provided by law. (Section 11)
- Outlines the powers and duties of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, including approving ordinances, generating and maximizing resources, regulating activities, ensuring delivery of basic services, and other duties prescribed by law. (Section 11)
- Provides for the internal rules of procedure, full disclosure of financial and business interests, sessions, quorum, approval of ordinances, veto power of the City Mayor, review of barangay ordinances, enforcement of disapproved ordinances, and effectivity of ordinances. (Sections 12-20)
- Establishes the rules for succession in case of permanent vacancies in the offices of the City Mayor, Vice Mayor, and Sangguniang Panlungsod members. (Sections 21-23)
- Outlines the qualifications, powers, and duties of various appointive officials, including the Secretary to the Sangguniang Panlungsod, City Treasurer, City Assessor, City Engineer, City Health Officer, City Civil Registrar, City Accountant, City Social Welfare and Development Officer, City Budget Officer, City Planning and Development Officer, City Administrator, City Legal Officer, City General Services Officer, City Environment and Natural Resources Officer, City Architect, City Human Resource Development Officer, City Information Officer, City Cooperatives Officer, City Population Officer, City Agriculturist, City Veterinarian, City Building Official, and City Tourism Officer. (Sections 24-52)

City Services
- Requires the establishment of a city fire station with adequate personnel, facilities, and equipment, headed by a City Fire Marshal. (Section 53)
- Requires the establishment and maintenance of a city jail for the custody and safekeeping of prisoners, headed by a City Jail Warden. (Section 54)
- Maintains the jurisdiction of the Office of the City Prosecutor of Malabon City over Navotas City, and the public schools division for both cities. (Section 55)

Transitory and Final Provisions
- Allows existing municipal ordinances to remain in force until the Sangguniang Panlungsod provides otherwise. (Section 56)
- Allows present elective officials to continue exercising their powers and functions until a new election, and appointive officials and employees to be absorbed by the city government. (Section 57)
- Provides for the City of Navotas to have its own Legislative District, with the first representative to be elected in the next national elections after the effectivity of the Act. (Section 58)
- Suspends any increase in the rates of local taxes for a period of five years from the City's acquisition of corporate existence. (Section 59)
- Requires the ratification of the City's creation through a plebiscite to be conducted within 30 days from the approval of the Act, with expenses borne by the Municipality of Navotas and supervised by the Commission on Elections. (Section 60)
- Declares the applicability of the Local Government Code of 1991 and other laws applicable to highly urbanized cities, insofar as they are not inconsistent with the provisions of the Act. (Section 61)
- Includes a separability clause, reservation for boundary disputes, and repealing clause. (Sections 62-64)
- Provides for the effectivity of the Act upon its complete publication in at least two newspapers of general circulation. (Section 65)