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Monday, December 08, 2003
Agno folks nix market transfer
By Ben C. Erto
AGNO -- Concerned residents of this town have strongly opposed a plan of the Municipal Government to transfer the public market to another site.
This is contained in a letter forwarded to the Pangasinan Provincial Board (PB), a copy of which was furnished the Office of the Ombudsman, wherein they said there was no public consultation on the matter.
Attached to the letter is an affidavit that said the Municipal Government had earlier proposed the transfer of the public to a new site because a road would traverse the front stalls which was opposed by the residents.
The concerned citizens said despite their opposition, documents prove that the local officials drafted a deed of absolute sale effecting the purchase of a new lot.
They further said the documents also prove that all the structures of the old public market, including those not traversed by the road construction, were all demolished and paid by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The complainants claimed that the municipal legislature had hastily approved measures granting authority to the mayor to transfer the depository bank of the municipal government as well as the acquisition of a bank loan, all of which were certified urgent by the mayor.
"Contracting a loan in the amount of P20 million is burdensome to the citizens and would deprive them of other basic services," they said.
They further claimed that no plan and feasibility study of the proposed market was made available to the public and that there were public hearings held in the acquisition of the loan.
The residents said documents show that for several years, there were appropriations made under the 20 percent municipal development fund for the public market.
But the municipal accountant never made any report on the appropriations to the municipal development council in meetings despite a request for him to do so.
They reported that filling works are being conducted in a rice field, which will be the site of the new market.
Due to this, they sought intervention of the provincial legislature by inquiring into the acts of the officials of the municipality and the DPWH relative to the transfer of the public market.
They also asked the Philippine National Bank or any bank to disapprove any loan applied for by the Municipal Government "in the name of the people of Agno."
"We know that your powers are limited, but we are only exhausting all acts necessary before we decide to do other acts in the venues. People's rights have several times been disregarded, especially the right to be heard. We hope this time, you would provide the venue," they said.
(December 8, 2003 issue)
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