BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio City Council will have to wait for the results of the 60-day trial implementation of the exemption of senior citizens from the Number Coding Scheme before taking further legislative action.
Previously, Mayor Benjamin Magalong vetoed the ordinance amending the city’s Number Coding Scheme to exempt senior citizens and instead recommended a 60-day experimental implementation of the ordinance.
Councilor Jose Molintas, author of the ordinance, explained that the mayor’s letter to the city council did not invoke the two valid grounds for vetoing an ordinance as provided under the Local Government Code of 1991: committing an ultra vires act (acting beyond legal authority) and being prejudicial to public welfare.
Molintas further pointed out that the veto seemed to be more about implementation concerns rather than legal or public interest issues.
“We will give the mayor a chance to implement it on an experimental basis for a period of 60 days before we recommend action on the matter,” Molintas said.
In his letter to the city council, Magalong pointed out concerns about potential discrimination against non-resident seniors who need to access the city’s healthcare and work facilities.
He also mentioned the difficulties in verifying the exemption criteria, such as providing the purpose of travel for medical or work reasons, which could lead to confusion and arbitrary enforcement by traffic enforcers and worsen traffic conditions.
In an interview with the media on August 5, 2024, the mayor emphasized the need for data-driven decision-making.
He explained that he had to veto the ordinance to prevent it from lapsing into law, allowing instead for the implementation of the experimental scheme.
He said the pilot test, scheduled to begin two weeks after August 5, would allow for data collection to guide the city in making better decisions.
Data to be collected include the number of senior citizens using private cars (whether as drivers or passengers).
This will help evaluate the potential impact of the exemption on traffic flow and congestion.
Meanwhile, while awaiting results from the 60-day trial, the city council referred the veto letter to the Committee on Laws, Human Rights, and Justice for further study.