Section 9Sec./Art. 9

The City Mayor. -

(a) The city mayor shall be the chief executive of the City. He shall be elected at large by the qualified voters of the City. No person shall be eligible for the position of city mayor unless, at the time of election, he is at least twenty-one (21) years of age, a resident of the City for at least one year prior to his election and a qualified voter therein. He shall hold office for three years, unless sooner removed, and shall receive a minimum monthly compensation corresponding to Salary Grade Thirty (30) as prescribed under Republic Act No. 6758, otherwise known as the Salary Standardization Law, and the implementing guidelines 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 herein:

(1) Exercise those powers expressly granted to him by law, those necessarily implied therefrom as well as powers necessary, appropriate or incidental for the efficient and effective governance of the City and those which are essential to the promotion of the general welfare. Pursuant thereto, he 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 sangguniang 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 may be deemed necessary, provide such information and data needed or 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 for in the Local Government Code of 1991, as well as those he may be authorized by law to appoint;

(vi) Represent the City in all its business transactions and sign on its behalf 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 or 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 to the City and other officials and employees who, by law or ordinance, are entitled to such space in the city hall and other buildings owned or leased by the city government, including the offices and officials created therein;

(x) Ensure that all executive officials and employees of the City faithfully discharge their duties and functions as provided for by law and this Act, 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 their official duties:

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

(xii) Furnish copies of executive orders issued by him to the provincial governor within seventy-two (72) hours after their issuance;

(xiii) Visit component barangays of the City at least once every six months to deepen his understanding of the problems and conditions, listen and give appropriate counsel to local 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 of officials and employees appointed by him and 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;

(xvi) Call upon any national official or employee stationed in or assigned to the City to advise him on matters affecting the City and to make recommendations thereon; coordinate with said officials or 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 their official duties while stationed in or assigned to the City;

(xvii) Authorize payments 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 the availability of funds;

(xviii) Solemnize marriages;

(xix) Conduct an annual palarong panlungsod which shall feature traditional sports and disciplines included in national and international games, in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd) , the Philippine Sports Commission and other related agencies; 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 condition; and supplemental reports when unexpected events and situations arise at any time during the year, particularly when man-made and 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, shall:

(i) Ensure that the acts of the City's 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 national officials and employees stationed in or assigned to the City, at such time and place and on such subject he 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 territorial jurisdiction after the procurement of necessary permit/s and/or license/s from duly constituted authorities;

(v) Act as the deputized representative of the National Police Commission, formulate the peace and order plan of the City and upon its approval, implement the same and as such, exercise general and operational control and supervision over the local police forces in the City in accordance with Republic Act No. 6975, otherwise known as the Philippine National Police Law; 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 so requires and the city police forces are inadequate to cope with the situation or the violators.

(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 the provision of basic services and, 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 and in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991, and other relevant laws;

(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;

(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 the 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, not requiring approval 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 structures to obtain the necessary permits, subject to such fines and penalties as may be imposed by law or ordinance, or to make necessary changes in the construction or to order the demolition or removal of said houses, buildings or structures 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, rights and other properties of the City; and

(ix) Institute or cause to be instituted administrative or judicial proceedings for violation of ordinances 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, bridges and highways funded by the national government shall be, as far as practicable, carried out in a spatially contiguous manner and in coordination with the construction and repair of the roads and bridges of the City and of the province; and

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

(5) Perform such other duties and functions and exercise such other powers as provided for under the Local Government Code of 1991, and those that are prescribed by other relevant laws or by ordinance.