Question & AnswerQ&A (Republic Act No. 4065)
The Vice-Mayor performs the duties of the Mayor in cases of sickness, absence, or temporary incapacity of the Mayor, or in the event of a definitive vacancy in the position of Mayor until a new Mayor is appointed or elected.
The duties of the Mayor shall be performed by the President pro-tempore of the Municipal Board.
The Acting Mayor has the same powers and duties as the Mayor, including the power to appoint, suspend, or dismiss employees, and all acts performed by the Acting Mayor shall not be reversed or modified by the returning Mayor.
The Mayor is considered absent when on leave, out of the country, or if within the country, physically out of the city for more than forty-eight hours.
The Vice-Mayor is elected in the same manner as the Mayor and must possess the same qualifications at the time of election.
The Vice-Mayor is the presiding officer and administrative head of the Municipal Board, submits the Board's budget, controls disbursement of funds, provides information and recommendations, leads the city's fight against vice and criminality with a special group under his supervision, and performs other duties assigned by the Mayor or law.
The group consists of at least 24 members appointed by the Vice-Mayor, including at least 8 lawyers and 16 qualified patrolmen, supervised directly by the Vice-Mayor. They are peace officers empowered under Section 37 of the Act and may also be assigned 5 city police or detective personnel by the Chief of Police upon the Vice-Mayor’s request.
The Vice-Mayor receives an annual salary of eighteen thousand pesos, a secretary, at least twenty personnel in his office, and a commutable housing allowance of not less than six thousand pesos per annum.
The Mayor enforces laws and ordinances, safeguards city properties, supervises tax collection and expenditures, institutes judicial proceedings for city interests, inspects official records, attends Municipal Board sessions without voting rights, represents the city in contracts, submits annual budget proposals, decides on permits and licenses, and appoints city officers subject to Municipal Board approval.
The Mayor can appoint all officers and employees except those appointed by the President, members of the Board, and the Vice-Mayor's office. Such appointments require Municipal Board majority consent, and transfers within departments are possible with the President's Office approval, except for Board and Vice-Mayor's staff.