Section 9Sec./Art. 9

The City Mayor. (a) The City Mayor shall be the chief executive of the City and shall be elected at large by the qualified voters of the City.

The City Mayor shall, at the time of the election, be at least twenty-one (21) years ago, a resident of the City for at least one (1) year immediately preceding the day of the election, a qualified registered voter therein and is able to read and write Filipino or any local language or dialect.

The City Mayor, who shall hold office for three (3) years, unless sooner removed, and shall not serve for more than three (3) consecutive terms in the same policies, shall receive a minimum monthly compensation to Salary Grade Thirty (30) as prescribed under Republic Act No. 6758, as amended, otherwise known as the Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989, and the implementing guideline issued pursuant thereto and such other compensation, emoluments and allowances as may be determined by law.

(b) The City Mayor, as the Chief Executive of the City Government, shall exercise such powers and perform such duties and functions as provided under the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended, this Act and other laws.

(c) For efficient, effective and economical governance the purpose of which is the general welfare of the City and its inhabitants, the City Mayor shall:

(1) Exercise general supervision and control over all programs, projects, services, and activities of the city government and, in this connection, shall:

(i) Determine the guidelines of city policies and be responsible to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for the program of government;

(ii) Direct the formulation of the city development plan with the assistance of the city development council and upon approval thereof by the Sangguniang Panlungsod, implement the same;

(iii) Present the program of government and propose policies and projects for the consideration of the Sangguniang Panlungsod at the opening of the regular session of the Sangguniag Panlungsod every calendar year and as often as may be deemed necessary as the general welfare of the inhabitants and the needs of the city government may require;

(iv) Initiate and propose legislative measures to the Sangguniang Panlungsod and as often as may deemed necessary, provide such information and data needed for requested by said Sanggunian in the performance of its legislative functions;

(v) Appoint all officials and employees whose salaries and wages are wholly or mainly paid out of city funds and whose appointments are not otherwise provided under the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended, and this Act, and those whose appointment the City Mayor may be authorized b law to appoint:

(vi) Represent the City in all its business transactions and sign in its behalf if all bonds, contracts, obligations, and such other documents upon the authority of the Sangguniang Panlungsod or pursuant to law or ordinance;

(vii) Carry out such emergency measures as may be necessary during and in the aftermath of man-made and natural disasters and calamities

(viii) Determine the time, manner and place of payment of salaries or wages of the officials and employees of the City, in accordance with law or ordinance;

(ix) Allocate and assign office space of the City and other officials and employees who, by law or ordinance, are entitled to such space in the city hall and their buildings owned or leased by the city government;

(x) Ensure that all executive officials and employees of the City faithfully discharge their duties and functions as provided as by law and the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended, and cause to be instituted administrative or judicial proceedings against any official or employee of the City who may have committed an offense in the performance of official duties;

(xi) Examine books, records and other documents of all offices, officials, agents or employees of the City and, in aid of the executive powers and authority of the City Mayor, require all national officials and employees stationed in or assigned to the City to make available such books, records and other documents in their custody except those classified by law as confidential;

(xii) Furnish copies of executive orders issued by the City Mayor to the office of the provincial governor within seventy-two (2) hours after their issuance;

(xiii) Visit component barangays of the City at least once every six (6) months to deepen his understanding of problems and conditions, listen and give appropriate counsel to local officials and inhabitants, inform component barangay officials and inhabitants of general laws and ordinances which especially concern them, and otherwise conduct visits and inspections to ensure that the governance of the City will improve the quality of life of the inhabitants;

(xiv) Act on leave applications officials and employees on the commutation of the monetary value of their leave credits in accordance with law;

(xv) Authorize official trips of city officials and employees outside of the City for a period not exceeding thirty (30) days: Provided, That trips abroad for a longer period may be authorized in accordance with the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended;

(xvi) Call upon any national office or employee stationed in or assigned to the City for advice on matters affecting the City and to make recommendations thereon; coordinate with said officials and employees in the formulation and the implementation of plans, programs and projects; and when appropriate, initiate an administrative or judicial action against a national government official or employee who may have committed an offense in the performance of the official duties while stationed in or assigned to the City;

(xvii) Authorize payment for medical care, necessary transportation, subsistence, hospital or medical fees of city officials and employees who are injured while in the performance of their official duties and functions, subject to availability of funds;

(xviii) Solemnize marriages, any provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding;

(xix) Conduct an annual palarong panlungsod which shall feature traditional sports and discipline included in national and international games, in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd); and

(xx) Submit to the provincial governor the following reports: an annual report containing a summary of all matters pertinent to the management, administration and development of the City and all information and data relative to its political, social and economic conditions; supplemental reports when unexpected events and situations arise at any time during the year, particularly when man-made or natural disasters or calamities affect the general welfare of the City.

(2) Enforce all laws and ordinances relative to the governance of the City and in the exercise of its appropriate powers as well as implement all approved policies, programs, projects, services and activities of the City and in addition to the foregoing, shall:

(i) Ensure that the acts of the Citys component barangays and of its officials and employees are within the scope of their prescribed powers, duties and functions;

(ii) Call conventions, conferences, seminars or meetings of elective or appointive officials of the City, including provincial and national officials and employees stationed in or assigned to the City, at such time and place and on such subject one may deem important for the promotion of the general welfare of the local government unit and its inhabitants;

(iii) Issue such executive orders for the faithful and appropriate enforcement and execution of laws and ordinances;

(iv) Be entitled to carry the necessary firearms within his or her territorial jurisdiction;

(v) Act as the deputized representative of the National Police Commission, formulate the peace and order plan of the City, upon its approval, implement the same; and as such, exercise general and operational control and supervision over the police forces in the City in accordance with Republic Act No. 6975, otherwise known as the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990; and

(vi) Call upon the appropriate law enforcement agencies to suppress disorder, riot, lawless violence, rebellion or sedition, or apprehend violators of the law when public interest to requires and the city police forces are inadequate to cope with the situation or the violations.

(3) Initiate and maximize the generation of resources and revenues and apply the same to the implementation of development plans, program objectives and priorities, particularly the resources and revenues programmed for agro-industrial development and countryside growth and progress, ad relative thereto, shall:

(i) Require each head of an office or department to prepare and submit an estimate of appropriations for the ensuing calendar year, in accordance with the budget preparation process enshrined under the Local Government Code of 1991;

(ii) Prepare and submit to the Sanggunian for approval the executive and supplemental budgets of the City for the ensuing calendar year in the manner provided for under the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended;

(iii) Ensure that all taxes and other revenues of the City are collected and that city funds are applied to the payment of expenses and settlement of obligations of the City, in accordance with law or ordinance;

(iv) Issue licenses and permits and suspend or revoke the same for any violation of the conditions upon which said licenses or permits had been issued pursuant to law or ordinance;

(v) Issue permits without need of approval therefor from any national agency, for the holding of activities for any charitable or welfare purpose, excluding prohibited games of chance or shows contrary to law, public policy and public morals;

(vi) Require owners of illegally constructed houses, buildings or other structures to obtain the necessary permits, subject to such fines and penalties as may be imposed by law ordinance, or to make necessary changes in the construction of the same when said construction violates any law or ordinance, or to order the demolition or removal of said house, building or structure within the period prescribed by law or ordinance;

(vii) Adopt adequate measures to safeguard and conserve land, mineral, forest, marine and other resources of the City;

(viii) Provide efficient and effective property and supply management in the city, and protect the funds, credits, right and other properties of the City; and

(ix) Institute or cause to be instituted administrative or judicial proceedings for violation of ordinance in the collection of taxes, fees or charges, and for the recovery of funds and property; and cause the City to be defended against all suits to ensure that its interests, resources and rights shall be adequately protected.

(4) Ensure the delivery of basic services and the provision of adequate facilities and, in addition thereto, shall:

(i) Ensure that the construction and repair of roads and high ways funded by the national government shall be, as far as practicable, carried out spatially contiguous manner and in coordination with the conctruction and repair of the roads and bridges of trhe City and of the province; and

(ii) Coordinate the implementation of technical services, including pubic works and infrastructure programs, rendered by national offices and provincial office.

(5) Exercise such other powers and perform such other duties and functions as provided under the Local Government Code of 1991, and that those are prescribed or by law and ordinance.

(d) The City Mayor shall hold office in the City Hall.