Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL NO. 8356

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160, ALSO KNOWN AS THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT CODE, ON THE LEVEL OF THE POSITION OF SECRETARY TO THE
SANGGUNIAN

Republic Act No. 7160, also known as the Local Government Code, Section 469 thereof
provides that “There shall be a Secretary to the Sanggunian who shall be career official
with the rank and salary equal to a head of department or office. The Civil Service
Commission, in Resolution No. 92-1111 dated 20 August 1992, interpreted the aforesaid
provision to mean that a Secretary to the Sanggunian, whether of a municipality, city or
province, is not a department head but only occupies a position “equal to a head of
department or office.”

It is believed that the Secretary to the Sanggunian is the head of the office of the
Sanggunian, as a separate department of the local government, the Vice-Governor or
Vice-Mayor being the second highest-ranking officer of the entire local government after
the Governor or Mayor as the case may be. To consider the Vice-Governor or
Vice-Mayor as a department head is tantamount to demoting him in rank and stature as
he is assigned a salary grade higher than that given a local government department
head and is the acknowledged assistant chief executive of his local government unit.

The relegation of the position of a Secretary to the Sanggunian to a level other than that
of a department head when all his qualifications, powers, and functions relate to a

department head lowers his morale as it constitutes a virtual source of discrimination.
This bill restitutes the position of Secretary to the Sangggunian to local government

department head.

LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY’/ 7. VILLAFUERTE, JR.


Republic of the Philippines
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Queson City

EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS
Second Regular Session

HOUSE BILL no8356

Introduced by HON. LUIS RAYMUND “LRAY” F. VILLAFUERTE, JR.

AN ACT
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7160, ALSO KNOWN AS THE LOCAL
GOVERNMENT CODE, ON THE LEVEL OF THE POSITION OF SECRETARY TO THE
SANGGUNIAN

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in
Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Republic Act No. 7160, also known as the Local Government Code, Book 3,
Title V, Article 1, Section 469, is hereby amended to read as follows:

“Section 469. Qualifications, Powers and Duties. — (a) There shall be a
secretary to the Sanggunian who shall be a career official with the rank and
salary (equal to) of a head of department or office.”

SECTION 2. Republic Act No. 7160, Book 3, Title VI, Chapter 2, Section 508 is hereby
amended to read as follows:

“Chapter 2. — Leagues and Federations of Local (Elective) Officials
Section 508. Organization. - (a) Vice-governors, vice-mayors,
sanggunian members of barangays, municipalities, component cities,
highly-urbanized cities and municipalities, and other (elective) officials of
local government units, including those of the Metropolitan Manila area and
any metropolitan political subdivisions, may form their respective leagues
or federation, subject to applicable provisions of this title and pertinent
provisions of this Code.”

SECTION 3. Repealing Clause. — Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive
order, letter of instruction, administrative order, rules or regulations or part thereof,
contrary to or inconsistent with the provision of this Act is hereby repealed, modified, or


amended accordingly.

SECTION 4. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its
publication in at least two (2) newspapers of general circulation,

Approved,