Corporate Nature and Powers of the City
- City is a political body corporate with perpetual succession.
- Powers include suing and being sued, holding property, entering contracts, and exercising municipal corporate powers within legal limits.
General Corporate Powers and Seal
- City has a common seal registrable with DILG.
- Powers include levying taxes, managing property, expropriating for public use, contracting, litigation, and all powers granted to corporations by law.
Liability and Police Jurisdiction
- City and officials are liable for death, injury, or property damage.
- Police jurisdiction covers territorial area and water supply drainage area up to 100 meters of water infrastructure.
- City court and neighboring courts have concurrent jurisdiction over offenses in these zones.
- Police forces share jurisdiction; licenses issued within zones accrue fees to appropriate local governments.
City Officials Structure and Appointment
- Positions include mayor, vice mayor, sangguniang panlungsod members, and multiple appointed department heads covering treasury, assessment, health, legal, social welfare, veterinary, and general services.
- Mayor may appoint additional officers like environment, architect, information, cooperatives, population, and agriculturist officers.
- A city fire station, jail, schools division, and prosecution service established with designated heads.
- Sangguniang panlungsod may create, maintain, or consolidate offices.
- Department heads appointed by the mayor with sangguniang panlungsod concurrence.
- Compensation governed by law and budget limits; salary increases take effect after officials' term ends.
Offices of the City Mayor
- Elected at large, serving 3 years per term, max of 3 consecutive terms; qualifications include citizenship, age, residency, and literacy.
- Powers and duties include policy determination, planning, legislative initiatives, appointments, representation, emergency management, budget preparation, revenue generation, service delivery, law enforcement, and administrative oversight.
- Mayor has authority over the city government operations and collaborates with other officials and agencies.
Office of the City Vice Mayor
- Elected similarly to mayor, 3-year terms, max 3 consecutive terms.
- Presides over sangguniang panlungsod, signs treasury warrants for council expenses.
- Appoints sangguniang panlungsod officials and employees.
- Assumes mayor’s office in vacancy and exercises mayoral powers during temporary vacancy.
Sangguniang Panlungsod Composition and Representation
- Composed of vice mayor, 12 regular members, president of the liga ng mga barangay, youth federation president, and 3 sectoral representatives (women, workers, and other sectors).
- Members elected from two districts covering barangays geographically divided into Bacoor West and Bacoor East.
Legislative Powers and Functions
- Enacts ordinances, approves resolutions, and appropriates funds.
- Reviews barangay ordinances for consistency and may return for amendments.
- Enforces measures for public welfare including peace and order, environment protection, health, social welfare, and business regulation.
- Approves city budgets, levies taxes, grants franchises, regulates land use, and ensures basic public services.
- May enact penalties for ordinance violations with fines up to ₱5,000 or imprisonment up to one year.
Legislative Process and Internal Rules
- Adopts internal procedural rules including organization, order of business, legislative process, member conduct, and discipline.
- Members must disclose financial and business interests to avoid conflicts.
- Sessions held weekly; special sessions called by mayor or majority of members.
- Quorum requires majority; absentees without cause may be compelled to attend.
- Ordinances presented to mayor; mayor may veto with reasons; council may override veto by 2/3 vote.
- Ordinances reviewed by provincial sangguniang panlalawigan and barangay ordinances reviewed by city council.
Disqualification Criteria and Succession
- Disqualified from running for office: persons sentenced for crimes involving moral turpitude, removed from office administratively, convicted of oath violation, dual citizens, fugitives, permanent foreigners, or mentally incapacitated.
- Permanent vacancies filled by succession based on ranking in votes or appointments by provincial governor with party nomination.
- Temporary vacancies in mayor's office assumed by vice mayor or highest ranking council member with limitations on appointment powers.
Appointive City Officials and Qualifications
- Positions include secretary to sangguniang panlungsod, city treasurer, assessor, accountant, budget officer, planning and development officer, engineer, health officer, civil registrar, administrator, legal officer, social welfare officer, veterinarian, general services officer, environment officer, architect, information officer, cooperatives officer, population officer, agriculturist.
- Qualifications vary but generally require Filipino citizenship, residency in Bacoor, good moral character, professional licensure where applicable, relevant experience, and civil service eligibility.
- Appointees oversee departmental functions related to finance, assessment, planning, public health, legal services, social services, veterinary services, general administration, environment conservation, architectural planning, information dissemination, cooperatives development, population programs, and agriculture.
City Fire Station, Jail, Schools Division, and Prosecution Service
- Fire station established with adequate staff and equipment headed by city fire marshal following professional standards.
- Jail facility maintained securely, headed by a city jail warden ensuring humane treatment and rehabilitation.
- Department of Education maintains city school districts under a superintendent.
- City prosecution service established under DOJ supervision handling local criminal cases.
- Extension offices of national agencies may be established in the city to deliver services locally.
Transitory Provisions and Effectivity
- Existing municipal ordinances remain effective until modified by the city council.
- City corporate existence subject to ratification by plebiscite.
- Present municipal officials continue to serve until new officials assume office.
- City succeeds all assets, liabilities, and obligations of the former municipality.
- Voters in Bacoor can vote and run for provincial positions corresponding to the city’s legislative districts.
- Bacoor remains under Cavite provincial jurisdiction unless otherwise provided.
- Local tax rates frozen for five years post cityhood.
- Bacoor retains the second legislative district status of Cavite.
- Philippine Local Government Code and related laws govern the city unless inconsistent with this charter.
- Separability clause ensures other provisions remain valid if part declared unconstitutional.
- Act takes effect 15 days after publication.