Tinga shrugs off recall petition

Why worry over something that’s already good as dead.

Taguig Mayor Sigfrido "Freddie" Tinga shrugged off the recall petition filed against him by members of the Preparatory Recall Assembly (PRA) yesterday with the local Commission on Elections (Comelec).

"I’m pretty sure that petition will not go anywhere," Tinga told The STAR in a telephone interview. He reiterated that he is confident that the petition is "legally dead."

He further described the ouster moves to oust him, being led by Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, as "ridiculous." He appealed to his rivals to stop politicking.

"Let us just focus on issues and our work", Tinga said.

Shortly before 10 a.m., some 400 Taguig residents and supporters of Cayetano arrived at the local Comelec office behind municipal hall to witness the filing of PRA Resolution 02-01, expressing loss of confidence in Tinga

Police said unlike the assembly held earlier this month, yesterday’s event was peaceful. Municipal employees and other supporters of Tinga kept to one side of the town hall opposite the Comelec office. Supporters of both camps left municipal hall after the petition was filed, police said.

Armando Vencilao, Taguig election officer, said he will endorse the petition to Comelec NCR Director Ferdinand Rafanan for "guidance."

He noted that there are no specific guidelines provided in the 1991 Local Government Code on the recall election provisions, thus election officers normally follow jurisprudence involving the recent recall elections, such as the ones in Pasay and Caloocan.

Vencilao added that Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr. can even designate an officer-in-charge who will verify the authenticity of the signatures in the petition.

To make matters more complicated, Vencilao said, the Taguig Liga ng mga Barangay, submitted a resolution and manifesto signed by 83 barangay officials expressing support for Tinga and alleging that the PRA held last Sept. 1 was illegal. Vencilao said he had also submitted the manifesto to the Comelec director.

Eighty-four of the 162 members of the PRA, a body composed of elected barangay officials, signed the resolution accusing Tinga of nepotism, graft and corruption, and destruction of infrastructure projects, among others.