THE Supreme Court has approved a petition filed by Maguindanao del Norte acting Gov. Fatima Ainee Sinsuat seeking the designation of a provincial treasurer in the newly-created province.
In a decision promulgated on June 26 but only made public last August 3, the High Court’s Second Division granted Sinsuat’s petition to process the designation of Badorie Alonzo as provincial treasurer in a concurrent capacity as treasurer of the mother province of Maguindanao.
“Here, we cannot allow the newly created Province of Maguindanao del Norte to be crippled without its provincial treasurer who discharges the vital task of managing the fiscal affairs of the province as the same affects the entire operation of the local government unit. To be sure, recourse to the lower courts for the present case of mandamus, while allowed, is indeed inadequate especially considering that any ruling rendered therein would still be subject to layers of appellate review,” the SC decision penned by Associate Justice Amy Lazaro-Javier said.
Concurring were Associate Justices Marvic Leonen, Mario Lopez, Jhosep Lopez, and Antonio Kho Jr.
“Prompt action by the Court is thus necessary and exigent in this situation,” it added.
The SC ordered the Bureau of Local Government Finance, Regional Office 12 to process the appointment of Alonzo or any qualified person designated by Sinsuat as provincial treasurer of Maguindanao del Norte with dispatch.
Under Republic Act 11550, or the “Charter of the Provinces of Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur,” both provinces will have corporate powers and general powers that include having a common seal and having the power to create its sources of revenue and to levy taxes, fees, and charges among others.
RA 11550 was signed into law on May 27, 2021 dividing Maguindanao into two distinct and independent provinces.
On September 17, 2022, the Commission on Elections conducted a plebiscite which resulted in the overwhelming ratification of the law. Accordingly, the elected officials of the province of Maguindanao carried out the transitional governance structure under Section 50 of RA 11550.
