REPUBLIC ACT No. 1575

AN ACT TO AMEND AND REPEAL CERTAIN SECTIONS OF REPUBLIC ACT NUMBERED FIVE HUNDRED THIRTY-SEVEN, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE REVISED CHARTER OF QUEZON CITY.

Section 1. Section three of Republic Act Numbered Five hundred thirty-seven is amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 3. Boundaries. - The boundaries and limits of the territory of said city, containing the total area of fifteen thousand one hundred six hectares, more or less, are established and prescribed as follows: Beginning at a point marked "1", which is the northwestern corner of the boundary of Quezon City, thence due north 660.00 m. to point "2"; thence N. 43º 30' E., 3,680.00 m. to point "3"; thence N. 18º 00' W., 3,200.00 m. to point "4"; thence N. 45º 00' E., 4,100.00 m. to point "5"; thence due east 4,200.00 m. to point "6"; thence following the N. boundary line of the Novaliches watershed reservation to point "7", which is identical to Capital City boundary monument No. 19; thence S. 9º 36' W., 4,401.60 meters to point "8", which is at the center of the Marikina River and which is N. 10º 30' E., 149.72 from C.B.M. No. 29; thence following the center of downstream course of Marikina River to point "9", which is the intersection of the Arroyo and Marikina River; thence upstream following the Arroyo to point "10", which is 100.00 meters north of the pipe line and which is a corner of Quezon City; thence following the northern boundary of Quezon City to point of beginning; and the territory described as follows: Beginning at a point marked "1" which is identical to boundary monument No. 1, Piedad Estate; thence to point "2", which is boundary monument No. 2 of Piedad Estate; thence downstream following the Arroyo between Payatas Estate and Marikina Estate to point "3", which is 100 meters North of the water pipe line of the Metropolitan Water District; thence following the ridge southeastward to point "4", where the pipe line crosses the ravine; thence following the ridge southwestward to point "5", which is boundary monument No. 25 of Marikina Estate southward to point "6", which is the junction of the Marikina River and Marikina Estate; thence downstream following the Marikina River to point "7", which is the crossing of Marikina River by the old Rosario Road; thence westward following the old Rosario Road to point "8", which is the intersection of the old Rosario Road with the eastern right-of-way of the circumferential road (Highway 54); thence northeastward following the eastern right-of-way of circumferential road to point "9", which is the intersection of the eastern right-of-way of Highway 54 and the prolongation of the southeastern boundary line of Camp Crame; thence southwestward following the southeastern boundary line of Camp Crame to point "10", which is the southwestern corner of said Camp; thence northwestward following the western boundary line of Camp Crame to point "11", which is at the northern right-of-way of Santolan Road; thence southwestward following the northern right-of-way of Santolan Road to point "12", which is the intersection of Santolan Road and Salapan Creek; thence downstream following the Salapan Creek to point "13", which is the junction of Salapan Creek and Dario River; thence southward following the Dario River to its intersection with the east boundary of the City of Manila to point "14"; thence northwestward following the east boundary of the City of Manila to point "15", near La Loma Cabaret, which is a corner of the boundary of the City of Manila near the entrance of the North Cemetery; thence northward following the boundary of the City of Manila to point "16", which is the Northeast corner of said city; thence westward along said city boundary at a distance of 100 meters to point "17"; thence northward paralleling the Novaliches Road to a distance of 100 meters from property line on the side of the said road to point "18", which is at a distance of 100 meters North of the crossing of Samson Street (road connecting Balintawak Monument with Bonifacio Monument); thence eastward paralleling Samson Street and the circumferential road at a distance of 100 meters on the North side of said street and road to point "19", which is the center of the Culiat Creek; thence upstream following the Culiat Creek to point "20", which is the junction of Pasong Tamo River to point "21", which is the junction of Pasong Tamo River and Pinagpatayan Buaya Creek; thence to point of beginning."

Section 2. Sections 8 and 9 of the same Act are amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 8. The Mayor His appointment and compensation. The Mayor shall be the chief executive of the city, and as such shall have immediate supervision and control over the executive functions of the different departments subject to the supervision of the proper head of department. The Mayor shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines, with the consent of the Commission on Appointments of the Congress of the Philippines, and shall hold office at the pleasure of the President. He shall receive a salary of ten thousand pesos per annum. The City Council may provide the Mayor in addition to his salary a commutable quarter's allowance of not more than three thousand pesos per annum.

"Sec. 9. Vice-Mayor. There shall be a Vice-Mayor who shall be a member of the City Council, and who shall, during the absence of the Mayor from the city or his disability for any reason, discharge the duties of his office and exercise his powers, except that of removing any officer from office. If, for any reason, the Vice-Mayor is temporarily incapacitated for the performance of the duties of the Mayor, or said office of the Vice-Mayor is vacant, the duties of the Mayor, shall be performed by any member of the Quezon City Council duly designated by the President.

"He shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines, with the consent of the Commission on Appointments of the Congress and shall hold office at the pleasure of the President. He shall receive a salary of six thousand six hundred pesos per annum."

Section 3. Subsection (g), section ten of the same Act, is amended to read as follows:

"(g) All provisions of other laws notwithstanding, he shall appoint in accordance with the Civil Service Law, all officials and employees of the city, except teachers and personnel of the city auditor, whose salaries are paid out of city funds, and whose appointment is not otherwise vested in the President, and at any time for cause, he may suspend any officer and employee not otherwise appointed by the President for a period not exceeding thirty days, which suspension may continue for a longer period if approved by the Department Head; and by and with the consent of the Department Head may discharge any such officer or employee. The Mayor, upon recommendation of the City Council, may appoint rural representatives, whose duties will be as directed by the Mayor in conformity with existing laws and city ordinances."

Section 4. Section ten is hereby amended by adding two new sub-sections to be known as subsection (r) and (s) which shall read as follows:

"(r) Notwithstanding the provisions of any existing law to the contrary, to conduct administrative investigation of members of the city police department, involving cases not covered by Republic Act Numbered Five hundred fifty-seven: Provided, That the power to conduct the investigation granted herein may be delegated to any ranking official of the city, or to a special committee or board, the members of which shall be designated by the Mayor.

"(s) To request, if public interest and safety so require, the assistance of the Philippine Constabulary and other police agencies in maintaining peace and order in the city, and only in such cases of specific request made can the Philippine Constabulary and other police agencies intervene in the preservation of peace and order."

Section 5. Section eleven of the same Act is amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 11. The City Council Constitution and organization Compensation of Members Meetings Ordinances. There shall be a City Council composed of the Mayor as Chairman, Vice-Mayor, and eight other members. The Council shall fix the time and places for its regular meetings, which shall be held twice in each week, and shall hold special sessions when called by the Mayor. Any meeting, regular or special, may, in case the amount of business shall require, be adjourned from day to day until the business is completed. The meetings of the Council shall be open to the public unless otherwise ordered by affirmative vote of a majority of its members. It shall keep a record of its proceedings and determine its rules of procedure not herein set forth. A majority of the Council shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but a smaller number may adjourn from time to time. The ayes and nays shall be taken and recorded upon the passage of all ordinances, upon all resolutions or motions directing the payment of money or creating liability, and, at the request of any member, upon any other motion or resolution. The affirmative vote of a majority of all the members of the City Council shall be necessary for the passage of any ordinance, resolution, or motion directing the payment of money or creating liability. Each ordinance shall be sealed with the city seal, signed by the Mayor and the city secretary, and recorded in a book kept for that purpose. Each ordinance shall, on the day after its passage, be posted by the city secretary at a conspicuous part of the City Hall and shall take effect and be in force on and after the tenth day following its passage, if no date is fixed in the ordinance.

"The eight councilors hereinabove mentioned shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on Appointments, shall hold office at the pleasure of the President; and, such councilors shall receive a fixed salary of four thousand eight hundred pesos each per annum."

Section 6. Subsection (a), section twelve of the same Act, is amended to read as follows:

"(a) To make all appropriations for the expenses of the government of the city, and establish and fix the salaries of city officers and employees whose salaries are not otherwise provided in this Charter, notwithstanding the provision of any existing law or Executive Order to the contrary".

Section 7. Sections fourteen, fifteen, nineteen and twenty-two of the same Act are amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 14. Power over subdivisions. The City Council shall have power by ordinance approved by the Department Head to require that no plat or plan of subdivision of a residential estate within its jurisdiction shall be presented for approval or verification by the Bureau of Lands or the General Land Registration Office until the same shall have been approved by the City Council upon the recommendation of the city engineer under such regulations as may be provided by ordinance. Such regulations may provide for the proper arrangements, design, and width of streets in relation to other existing or planned streets, for adequate and convenient open spaces for traffic, public services, access of fire-fighting apparatus, recreation, light, and air, and for the avoidance of congestion of population including minimum width and area of lots in the several districts or sections of the city. Such regulations may also include provisions as to the extent to, and methods by, which streets and other ways may be graded, drained, and improved and water and sewer and other public service mains, piping, or other facilities installed. Such regulations shall provide for approval of the plat or plan within sixty days after the submission thereof to the City Council.

"Sec. 15. Appointment and compensation. There shall be a city secretary who shall be appointed by the President of the Philippines with the consent of the Commission on Appointments and shall hold office at the pleasure of the President. He shall receive a salary of seven thousand two hundred pesos per annum.

"Sec. 19. Appointment and removal of officials and employees. The President of the Philippines shall appoint, with the consent of the Commission on Appointments of Congress, the city health officer, the city engineer, the chief of police, the city treasurer, the city assessor, the city attorney, and the assistant city attorneys, the chief of the fire department, the judges of the municipal court, and in case of a temporary vacancy in such court, an acting judge therefor, and the city superintendent of schools. He may appoint to any of the above-mentioned offices persons already holding official positions. In case of sickness, absence, or inability to serve for any reason of any of the aforementioned officials, including the Mayor, Vice-Mayor, city secretary and members of the Council, the President of the Philippines may make a temporary appointment or designation, the provision of the last paragraph of the preceding section notwithstanding, until the return to duty of such official. During the period of such temporary appointment or designation, the person so appointed or designated shall possess all the powers and perform all the duties pertaining to the office.

"Sec. 22. The Bureau of Public Schools. The Director of Public Schools shall exercise the same jurisdiction and powers in the city as elsewhere in the Philippines, and the city superintendent of schools shall have all the powers and duties in respect to the schools of the city as are vested in division superintendents in respect to the schools of their divisions.

"The clerical force and assistants and laborers in the office of the city superintendent of schools shall be appointed by the City Mayor in accordance with the Civil Service Law, and their salaries shall be paid by the city as well as the office expenses for supplies and materials incident to the operation of said office. The City Council shall provide for additional compensation for the superintendent of city schools, so that the latter may have a total salary equal to that of a city department head of the same importance.

"For purposes of Republic Act Numbered Six hundred sixty, the combined salaries received from the National Government and from the city by the city superintendent of schools shall be considered as his base pay."

Section 8. The first paragraph of section twenty-four of the same Act is amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 24. The City Engineer, his powers, duties and compensation. There shall be a city engineer who shall be in charge of the department of engineering. He shall receive a salary of nine thousand pesos per annum. The City Engineer shall have the following powers and duties."

Section 9. The first paragraph and subsection (g) of section twenty-seven are amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 27. Powers and duties of the City Treasurer. There shall be a city treasurer with a salary not exceeding nine thousand pesos per annum, who shall have charge of the department of finance and shall act as chief fiscal officer and financial adviser of the city and custodian of its funds, and shall have the following general powers and duties.

"(g) Disbursements made by the city treasurer in accordance with the appropriations of the City Council as shown in the city budgets, may be made from any funds in the possession of the city treasurer, but the total disbursements from any city fund shall in no case be in excess of the actual collections plus fifty per centum of the uncollected estimated income accruing to such fund: Provided, however, That in case of an emergency caused by typhoon, earthquake, or any other public calamity which may seriously affect the collection of revenues in the city during the year, the Secretary of Finance may authorize the city treasurer to continue making disbursements from any fund in his possession in excess of the limitation herein provided, but only for such purposes and amounts included in the city budget as the said Secretary of Finance shall determine after consultation with the City Council. Any overdraft which may be incurred at the end of the fiscal year in any city fund by virtue of the provisions hereof shall be covered with the first collections of the following fiscal year accruing to such city fund, however, if the overdraft is such that its liquidation as herein provided would affect essential services, the Secretary of Finance may authorize the settlement thereof within a period of not exceeding five fiscal years. In the case, the budget of the city government concerned shall not take effect until approved by the Secretary of Finance."

Section 10. The first paragraph of section twenty-eight of the same Act is amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 28. The City Attorney, his Assistants, his duties. There shall be a city attorney who shall be the chief of the law department of the city, a first assistant city attorney who shall be the assistant chief, a second assistant city attorney, two third assistant city attorneys, and five fourth assistant city attorneys, who shall discharge their duties under the general supervision of the Secretary of Justice. The city attorneys shall be the chief legal adviser of the city and all offices and departments thereof and shall have the following general powers and duties:"

Section 11. Section twenty-nine of the same Act is amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 29. Compensation of City Attorney and his Assistants. The city attorney and his assistants shall receive the salaries hereinafter set forth, which shall be paid by Quezon City:

"(a) City attorney, at nine thousand pesos per annum.

"(b) First assistant city attorney, not exceeding seven thousand two hundred pesos per annum.

"(c) Second assistant city attorney, not exceeding five thousand four pesos per annum.

"(d) Two third assistant city attorneys, not exceeding five thousand four hundred pesos per annum each.

"(e) Five fourth assistant city attorneys, not exceeding four thousand eight hundred pesos per annum each."

Section 12. Sections thirty and thirty-one of the same Act are amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 30. The Municipal Court. There shall be a municipal court for Quezon City, with three judges to be known as judges of the first, second and third branch, respectively.

"The municipal court shall have the same jurisdiction in civil and criminal cases and the same incidental powers as are at present conferred by law upon justice of the peace courts except those in conflict with the provisions of this Charter and such other additional jurisdiction and powers as may be conferred upon it by this Charter or by special law.

"In case of the absence, sickness or incapacity of the judges of the municipal court of Quezon City and in case of any vacancy in said offices, the Secretary of Justice shall designate any assistant attorney of the Solicitor General's Office or provincial fiscal to act as judge of the municipal court, and he shall hold the office temporarily with all the powers of a regular judge of said court, until any of the regular incumbents shall have resumed office, or until a judge shall have been appointed in accordance with the provisions of this Act, but such acting judge shall not receive any additional compensation during the time he is acting as judge.

"The judges of the municipal court shall receive a salary of eight thousand four hundred pesos per annum each.

"Sec. 31. Clerk and employees of the Municipal Court. There shall be a clerk of the municipal court who shall be appointed by the City Mayor in accordance with the Civil Service Laws, rules and regulations who shall receive a compensation to be fixed by ordinance. He shall keep the seal of the court and affix it to all orders, judgments, certificates, records, and other documents issued by the court. He shall keep a docket of the trials in the court, in which he shall record in a summary manner the names of the parties and the various proceedings in civil cases, and in criminal cases, the name of the defendant, the charge against him, the names of the witnesses, the date of the arrest, the appearance of the defendant, together with the fines and costs adjudged or collected in accordance with the judgment. He shall have the power to administer oaths.

"The City Council may provide for such number of clerks and other office personnel who shall be appointed by the City Mayor in the office of the clerk of the municipal court as the needs of the service may demand."

Section 13. Section forty is repealed.

Section 14. The first paragraph of section forty-two is amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 42. Powers and duties of the City Health Officer. There shall be a city health officer, with a salary of not exceeding seven thousand two hundred pesos per annum, who shall have charge of the health department. He shall have the following general powers and duties:"

Section 15. Subsection (a) of section forty-three of the same Act is amended to read as follows:

"(a) He shall have charge of the organization, government, discipline and disposition of the city police and detective force."

Section 16. Section forty-five of the same Act is amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 45. The City Assessor. There shall be a city assessor who shall have charge of the department of assessment. He shall receive a compensation of not exceeding seven thousand two hundred pesos per annum."

Section 17. The first paragraph of section fifty-seven is amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 57. Tax sale. In addition to the procedure prescribed in section fifty-three hereof the city treasurer may, upon the warrant of the certified record required in said section and after the lapse of not less than twenty days after delinquency, advertise the delinquent real property for sale, to satisfy all public taxes upon said property including penalties and costs of sale, for a period of thirty days."

Section 18. The first paragraph of section sixty-five is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Sec. 65. Powers and duties of chief. There shall be a chief of the fire department, with a salary of seven thousand two hundred pesos per annum who shall have the following general powers and duties:"

Section 19. This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

Approved: June 16, 1956


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