Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 9015)
The official title is "Charter of the City of Panabo."
It converts the Municipality of Panabo, Province of Davao del Norte into a component city known as the City of Panabo.
The territorial jurisdiction is within the present metes and bounds of the Municipality of Panabo as described in the Act including its boundaries with rivers, municipalities, and the Davao Gulf.
The City has the powers to have continuous succession in its corporate name; to sue and be sued; to have and use a corporate seal; to acquire, hold and convey real or personal property; to enter into contracts or agreements; and exercise other powers subject to limitations in the Act or laws.
The elected officials include a city mayor, city vice mayor, and sangguniang panlungsod members.
The candidate must be at least 21 years old, an actual resident of the City for at least one year before the election, and a qualified voter of the City.
The City Mayor holds office for three years unless sooner removed, and receives a minimum monthly compensation corresponding to salary grade 30 as prescribed under Republic Act No. 6758.
The mayor exercises executive powers including implementing laws and ordinances, proposing policies, appointing officials and employees, representing the City in business transactions, calling conventions, controlling the police force, and ensuring delivery of services, among others.
The City Vice Mayor acts as the presiding officer. The legislative body includes 10 regular sanggunian members, presidents of city chapters of the Liga ng mga Barangay and Panlungsod na Pederasyon ng mga Sangguniang Kabataan, and sectoral representatives.
Every ordinance is presented to the city mayor who can approve or veto it. The mayor may veto on grounds the ordinance is ultra vires or prejudicial. The sangguniang panlungsod may override the veto by two-thirds vote making the ordinance effective.
Disqualifications include being convicted of offenses involving moral turpitude or with imprisonment of one year or more within two years after serving sentence, removal from office for administrative cases, dual citizenship, fugitives from justice, permanent residents abroad, and insanity or being feeble-minded.
Permanent vacancies in the mayor’s office are filled by the City Vice Mayor, or if he refuses, by the highest ranking sangguniang panlungsod member. For vice mayor vacancies, the highest or second highest ranking sangguniang panlungsod members fill the vacancy as applicable.
Appointive officials must be Filipino citizens, residents of Panabo, of good moral character, holders of a relevant degree, with first grade civil service eligibility or its equivalent, and with professional experience as required by each office’s qualifications stated in the Act.
The City Fire Station Service provides fire protection, emergency rescue and evacuation, and fire prevention and suppression measures to protect the safety of life and property of the citizenry.
Within 3 days after approval, copies are sent to the sangguniang panlalawigan for review. The sangguniang panlalawigan has 30 days to examine and may declare ordinances invalid if beyond the sangguniang panlungsod’s power.