Taguig mayor says recall ‘illegal, pointless’

Taguig Mayor Sigfrido Tinga said yesterday the recent Preparatory Recall Assembly (PRA) that was initiated to oust him was "illegal and pointless."

Tinga, a guest of the weekly Kapihan sa Sulu, said politics was behind the recall election resolution signed by 84 barangay officials and supporters of Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano.

"This is a futile and pointless exercise staring at our town. Local politicians, led by my political enemies, appear to be abusing the preparatory recall elections law. This law should be repealed because one of its provisions states that as long as you have the numbers, you can recall a local chief executive even without valid ground," the mayor said.

Tinga noted that since he assumed office, his political foes have been spreading news that he will be booted out through a recall poll.

"I ask my political enemies to work with us. Let’s work rather than politicize. It’s useless and pointless," he said.

Tinga also denied earlier claims by former Mayor Ricardo Papa that he would be borrowing P600 million from a local government finance fund to pay off 3,000 casuals and ghost employees of the town.

Papa claimed that more than P15 million every month was being disbursed to pay off casual employees.

"We do not have P600-million debts," Tinga said.

Earlier, barangay officials said they endorsed the recall election in their desire "to end the illegal, unlawful and oppressive acts of Tinga constituting a betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption."

"These include the destruction and demolition of movable and immovable property; harassment and oppression of residents; blatant and arrogant nepotism; irresponsible, wasteful, and/or illegal use of public funds," the resolution said.

Tinga said he is not oppressive, noting that 50 national projects of Cayetano have not been questioned by his administration.

"What we don’t allow is construction in areas with structures already standing," the mayor said.

Tinga said the PRA will be submitted to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which will to look into the legality of the assembly and the authenticity of the signatories.

The PRA is a collegial body of elected barangay officials. It is convened in the event that residents, represented by the barangay officials, lose confidence in the incumbent local chief executive, allowing them to call for a recall election to oust the latter.