The League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) cried foul Thursday over allegations that it is greedy and insensitive to the aspirations of other municipalities that dream to become cities even as it welcomed to the league its two new members – the cities of Dasmariñas and Biñan.

“The LCP is not against any initiative on the part of a municipality to be converted into a city. However, what we strongly object to is the conversion of a municipality that is not yet, by itself, prepared to become a city,” said LCP president Mayor Benjamin C. Abalos Jr. of Mandaluyong City.

It will be recalled that the LCP had questioned a Supreme Court (SC) decision that declared as valid and constitutional 16 new republic acts converting 16 municipalities into cities.

The LCP said the SC “erred in disregarding the mandatory and prohibitive language of the Constitution” in exempting the 16 new cities from a law that requires towns to have an annual income of P100 million to vie for cityhood.

Basically, the league was concerned that the existing cities would suffer a reduced share in the Internal Revenue Allotment –a subsidy given by the national government to local government units – with the creation of additional cities presumably with low income.

Voting 6-4, the SC granted last December 22 granted the second motion for reconsideration filed by the towns that lost their city status because of the high tribunal’s decision on November 18, 2008, which found their “cityhood laws” unconstitutional.

The 16 towns converted into cities under various republic acts are Baybay in Leyte; Bogo in Cebu; Catbalogan in Samar; Tandag in Surigao del Sur; Borongan in Eastern Samar; Tayabas in Quezon; Lamitan in Basilan; Tabuk in Kalinga; Bayugan in Agusan del Sur; Batac in Ilocos Norte; Mati in Davao Oriental; Guihulngan in Negros Oriental; Cabadbaran in Agusan del Norte; Carcar in Cebu; El Salvador in Misamis Oriental; and Naga in Cebu.

The SC noted that as early as the 11th Congress, which was convened after the 1998 presidential elections, all 16 municipalities had been seeking cityhood – along with 33 other towns that eventually became cities – or way before the passage of Republic Act (RA) 9009.

Enacted in June 2001, RA 9009 amended the Local Government Code to raise the income requirement for towns to becomes cities to P100 million from P20 million.