Dep’t heads send letters to Sanggunian
CITY HALL ALTERNATIVE TO NON-APPEARANCE
DEPARTMENT heads of the Dagupan City Hall continue to snub the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), but some of them have resorted to writing letters to respond to the council’s queries in lieu of their physical presence during hearings and deliberations.
Two of those who recently sent letters to the SP were City Administrator Vladimir Mata and City Engineer Virginia Rosario, both of whom were among those invited by the city council to appear in the September 6 session for inquiries in aid of legislation.
Mayor Benjamin Lim earlier issued a “gag” memo ordering all department heads and their staff to refrain from appearing before the SP without his clearance.
It was not learned whether the letters were sanctioned by Lim.
Mata’s letter to the SP dated 24 August 2010 explains that his presence is no longer relevant since City Social Welfare and Development Officer Elsa Santillan already submitted her report in connection with the alleged illegal search for expired goods undertaken by the TV crew of GMA 7 and an employee of the City Information Office upon his instruction.
Mata’s presence was requested by the SP to provide an update regarding Santillan’s letter-report.
Santillan was also invited by the SP but was ordered not to appear.
Benjamin Hortaleza, officer-in-charge of the City Information Office under the City Mayor’s Office, also failed to appear on the same issue. He reportedly was not permitted by the mayor to attend the session.
The SP intends to ask Hortaleza about the alleged involvement of a CIO staff member in the said incident.
Mata also said in the letter that he believes that it is for the media to verify and investigate matters of public interest and inform the public on various issues.
SEAFOOD PLANT
The letter of Rosario, on the other hand, merely responded to the issues raised in the letter of one Violeta Carrera of Sitio Russia Bonuan Binloc Association and those from the BLISS Homeowners Association alleging that the city government reneged in its promise to give them livelihood assistance after agreeing to vacate the lot where the Korea-RP Dagupan Seafood Processing Plant was built.
“As per records, nobody was deprived of livelihood, not even among the 12 fishermen among the list of beneficiaries because the relocation site is near the river/sea where they could still go on fishing,” Rosario’s letter reads.
She also noted that some of those who were relocated were among those trained by the National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC) to become future workers of the plant when it becomes operational.
Other livelihood trainings such as soap-making and salt-making were also introduced in Sitio Korea where 67 row houses were built for the same number of families, Rosario also wrote.
Meanwhile, NIFTDC Director Westly Rosario also failed to show up despite previous invitations of the SP for him to respond to the concerns of Sitio Korea residents.
The NIFTDC is part of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Agriculture and is not under the office of the mayor.—LM
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
