Section 22Sec./Art. 22

Permanent Vacancy in the Offices of the City Mayor and the 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 his permanent incapacity, the second highest ranking sangguniang panlungsod member shall become the city vice mayor. If permanent vacancies occur in both the offices of the city mayor and the city vice mayor, the first and second highest ranking sangguniang panlungsod members or in case of permanent incapacity of one or both of them, the next highest ranking sangguniang panlungsod member or members, shall become the city mayor and the city vice mayor, respectively.

Subsequent vacancies in the said offices shall be filled in automatically by the other sanggunian members according to their ranking as defined herein.

(b) A tie between or among the highest ranking sangguniang panlungsod members shall be resolved by the drawing of lots.

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

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

For purposes of succession as provided for 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 immediately preceding local election.