LeagueofCitiesv.

Comelec

Action:
Theseareconsolidatedpetitionsforprohibitionwithprayerfortheissuanceofawritof
preliminaryinjunctionortemporaryrestrainingorderfiledbytheLeagueofCitiesofthe
Philippines,CityofIloilo,CityofCalbayog,andJerryP.Treasassailingtheconstitutionalityof
thesubjectCityhoodLawsandenjoiningtheCommissiononElections(COMELEC)and
respondentmunicipalitiesfromconductingplebiscitespursuanttotheCityhoodLaws.

Fact:
Duringthe11thCongress,Congressenactedintolaw33billsconverting33municipalitiesinto
cities.However,Congressdidnotactonbillsconverting24othermunicipalitiesintocities.
Duringthe12thCongress,CongressenactedintolawRepublicActNo.9009(RA9009),which
tookeffecton30June2001.RA9009amendedSection450oftheLocalGovernmentCodeby
increasingtheannualincomerequirementforconversionofamunicipalityintoacityfromP20
milliontoP100million.Therationalefortheamendmentwastorestrain,inthewordsofSenator
AquilinoPimentel,themadrushofmunicipalitiestoconvertintocitiessolelytosecurealarger
shareintheInternalRevenueAllotmentdespitethefactthattheyareincapableoffiscal
independence.

AftertheeffectivityofRA9009,theHouseofRepresentativesofthe12thCongressadopted
JointResolutionNo.29,whichsoughttoexemptfromtheP100millionincomerequirementin
RA9009the24municipalitieswhosecityhoodbillswerenotapprovedinthe11thCongress.
However,the12thCongressendedwithouttheSenateapprovingJointResolutionNo.29.

Duringthe13thCongress,theHouseofRepresentativesreadoptedJointResolutionNo.29as
JointResolutionNo.1andforwardedittotheSenateforapproval.However,theSenateagain
failedtoapprovetheJointResolution.FollowingtheadviceofSenatorAquilinoPimentel,16
municipalitiesfiled,throughtheirrespectivesponsors,individualcityhoodbills.The16cityhood
billscontainedacommonprovisionexemptingallthe16municipalitiesfromtheP100million
incomerequirementinRA9009.

On22December2006,theHouseofRepresentativesapprovedthecityhoodbills.TheSenate
alsoapprovedthecityhoodbillsinFebruary2007,exceptthatofNaga,Cebuwhichwaspassed
on7June2007.Thecityhoodbillslapsedintolaw(CityhoodLaws)onvariousdatesfromMarch
toJuly2007withoutthePresidentssignature.

TheCityhoodLawsdirecttheCOMELECtoholdplebiscitestodeterminewhetherthevotersin
eachrespondentmunicipalityapproveoftheconversionoftheirmunicipalityintoacity.

PetitionersfiledthepresentpetitionstodeclaretheCityhoodLawsunconstitutionalforviolation
ofSection10,ArticleXoftheConstitution,aswellasforviolationoftheequalprotectionclause.
Petitionersalsolamentthatthewholesaleconversionofmunicipalitiesintocitieswillreducethe

shareofexistingcitiesintheInternalRevenueAllotmentbecausemorecitieswillsharethe
sameamountofinternalrevenuesetasideforallcitiesunderSection285oftheLocal
GovernmentCode.

Issue:
Thepetitionsraisethefollowingfundamentalissues:
1.
WhethertheCityhoodLawsviolateSection10,ArticleXoftheConstitutionand
2.
WhethertheCityhoodLawsviolatetheequalprotectionclause.

Held:
Wegrantthepetitions.
TheCityhoodLawsviolateSections6and10,ArticleXoftheConstitution,andarethus
unconstitutional.

First,applyingtheP100millionincomerequirementinRA9009tothepresentcaseisa
prospective,notaretroactiveapplication,becauseRA9009tookeffectin2001whilethe
cityhoodbillsbecamelawmorethanfiveyearslater.

Second,theConstitutionrequiresthatCongressshallprescribeallthecriteriaforthecreationof
acityintheLocalGovernmentCodeandnotinanyotherlaw,includingtheCityhoodLaws.

Third,theCityhoodLawsviolateSection6,ArticleXoftheConstitutionbecausetheypreventa
fairandjustdistributionofthenationaltaxestolocalgovernmentunits.

Fourth,thecriteriaprescribedinSection450oftheLocalGovernmentCode,asamendedby
RA9009,forconvertingamunicipalityintoacityareclear,plainandunambiguous,needingno
resorttoanystatutoryconstruction.

Fifth,theintentofmembersofthe11thCongresstoexemptcertainmunicipalitiesfromthe
coverageofRA9009remainedanintentandwasneverwrittenintoSection450oftheLocal
GovernmentCode.

Sixth,thedeliberationsofthe11thor12thCongressonunapprovedbillsorresolutionsarenot
extrinsicaidsininterpretingalawpassedinthe13thCongress.

Seventh,eveniftheexemptionintheCityhoodLawswerewritteninSection450oftheLocal
GovernmentCode,theexemptionwouldstillbeunconstitutionalforviolationoftheequal
protectionclause.