NEWLY elected League of Cities of the Philippines President Edgardo Pamintuan of Angeles City has vowed to rally the country’s city mayors to support the key pronouncements of President Rodrigo Duterte during his first State of the Nation Address.
Among Duterte’s commitments include the war against illegal drugs and crime, improving traffic management and curbing red tape.
“Many of the key messages and commitments made by President Digong can only be fully implemented if these are supported at the local level by local officials,” Pamintuan said.
Pamintuan said drugs, crime, the worsening traffic, long queues to avail of public services and environmental degradation are actually local problems, particularly among cities, that the mayors are confronted with on a daily basis.
“If we (the mayors) put our acts together and rally behind the President, much of these issues will be resolved,” he added.
He cited the monstrous traffic problems in Metro Manila which could spill over to other nearby cities and urban centers if not addressed effectively.
Pamintuan, on his third term as mayor of Angeles City, was among the first local executives to support the candidacy of Duterte when the latter was still lagging behind the surveys among presidential candidates. He was recently elected LCP president, succeeding Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista.
He said the LCP will also fully cooperate with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the information campaign on federalism. He said federalism would allow local governments to have greater autonomy and more equitable opportunities to benefit from local resources.