Delays in Navotas’ cityhood bid questioned

Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco bristled yesterday at the continued delay in his town’s aspirations to be finally declared a highly urbanized city.

Tiangco noted that House Bill 5828, the "Act Converting the Municipality of San Juan into a Highly Urbanized City to be known as the City of San Juan," which was approved on third reading by the Senate last Jan. 29, was signed within two days by Speaker Jose de Venecia.

"But up to this day, Speaker De Venecia has not signed that of Navotas (House Bill 5500, which was ratified ahead of the San Juan bill)." San Juan is now awaiting the final approval on its cityhood from President Gloria Arroyo, way ahead of Navotas, which declared its intentioins as early as six years ago.

In a media briefing yesterday at his office in the municipal hall, Tiangco complained that it only took two days for San Juan bill to be approved by the Senate and the House while it was taking an "eternity" for the Navotas bill to move.

Malabon-Navotas Rep. Federico "Ricky" Sandoval referred the bill to the House Committee on rules instead sending it to De Venecia for his signature after it was ratified by the House in Dec. 19 last year. Jerry Botial