This refers to the article “Santiago sees plunder in 44 letters” (Front Page, 8/5/13), wherein “Santiago said the mayors could not be faulted for agreeing to sign the letters asking for P5 million for each of their towns.”
I agree: Mayors, especially those belonging to sixth-class municipalities, would readily sign pro-forma letters requesting for funding assistance. The average annual income of a sixth-class municipality is below P15 million.
However, in my more than 21 years experience as a municipal councilor of Aparri, whenever our then mayor requested for funds from national government agencies or from senators or congressmen for projects that required huge capital outlay, he would courteously request the Sangguniang Bayan to adopt a resolution for that purpose.
By the nature of the request, such a resolution is a bilateral decision between the executive and the legislative branch. This practice of issuing such a resolution is prudent and it removes the suspicion that the mayor is independently sourcing funds.
I strongly suggest that, as a matter of policy, if a government agency or the office of a senator or a congressman is in receipt of a letter from a mayor requesting for funds intended for projects in his or her turf, a resolution from the sanggunian should be submitted as a documentary requirement.
—REGINALD B. TAMAYO
assistant city council secretary
Marikina City