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LGUs’ powers vis-a-vis the economic zone: Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III seeks clarification from Sen. Grace Poe, sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2572 or the Bulacan Airport City Special Economic Zone and Freeport, on the issue of the powers of the City Council of the Local Government Units (LGUs) relative to the proposed measure. During Monday’s plenary session March 4, 2024, Pimentel expressed concern that making the LGUs part of an economic zone will affect its City Council powers including the control and regulation of the businesses. “Does being part of an economic zone affect the powers of the City Council of LGUs which is made part of the economic zone? Because as I understand the bill, this is not that there are parts of a territory of an LGU which is part of the economic zone, we made the entire LGU as part of the economic zone,” Pimentel stressed. Poe assured that the powers of the LGUs will not be affected but instead their income will increase due to shared revenues from the economic zone. (Nelson Ortiz/Senate PRIB)