— Most Rev. Gabriel V. Reyes, Bishop of Antipolo, leads the Palm Sunday rites to mark the start of the Holy Week at the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage Shrine or Antipolo Church in Antipolo City, Rizal on Sunday (March 29, 2015). (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Is your city plaza or road named after a deceased relative of government officials or employees?
This will be prohibited once Senate Bill 2707 authored by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago is enacted into law.
The proposed measure seeks to amend Section 13 of Republic Act 7160 or Local Government Code of 1991 which provides the Sangguniang Panlalawigan with the power to change the names of local government units, public places, streets and public structures within its territorial jurisdiction.
The only limitation under the law is that such places and structures may not be named after any living person.
So it has been the practice of some government officials to name public works after their deceased parents or grandparents, some of whom may share their name.
“This practice is deplorably self-serving. Not only does it underhandedly increase their own prestige within their locality, it also has the insidious effect of perpetuating their political dynastic line by forcing street goers to repeatedly utter their family name,” Santiago said in her explanatory note.
“This amounts to a circumvention of the law against premature campaigning, and at the expense of the taxpayers, no less,” she added.
Under the bill, none of the local government units, institutions, places, or buildings shall be named after a living person, “nor any relative by affinity or consanguinity within the fourth civil degree, whether living or dead, of any government official or employee.”(MNS)