Section 24Sec./Art. 24

Permanent Vacancy in the Offices of the Mayor and City Vice Mayor. - (a) If a permanent vacancy occurs in the office of the City Mayor, the City Vice Mayor shall become the City Mayor. If a permanent vacancy occurs in the office of the City Vice Mayor, the highest ranking Sangguniang Panlungsod member or, in case of the latter's permanent incapacity, the second highest ranking Sanggunuang Panlungsod member shall become the City Mayor or City Vice Mayor, as the case may be. Subsequent vacancies in the said office shall be filled automatically by the other Sannggunian members according to their ranking as defined under the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended,

(b) If a permanent vacancy occurs in the office of the Punong Barangay, the highest ranking Sangguniang Barangay member or, in case of the latter's incapacity, the second highest Sanggunian member shall become th Punong Barangay.

(c) A tie between or among the highest ranking Sangguniang Panlungsod members shall be resolved by drawing of lots.ℒαwρhi৷

(d) The successors, as defined herein, shall serve only the unexpired terms of their predecessors.

(e) For purposes of this Act, a permanent vacancy arises when an elective local officials fills in a highers vacant office, refuses to assume office, fails to qualify, dies, is removed from office, voluntarily resigns or otherwise permanently incapacitated to discharge the functions of the office.

(f) For purposes of succession as provided in this Act, ranking in the Sanggunian shall be determined on the basis of the proportion of votes obtained by each winning candidate to the total number of registered voters in the City in the immediately preceding local election.