"Systematic cover-up"
on P46M fund release

A former governor and a city lawmaker denounced what it terms as a "systematic cover-up" in the on-going verification of some P46.9 million cash disbursements at the city hall.

Former OIC Gov. Victor de la Serna said that "each department at the city hall is conniving with each other to cover up whatever financial mess that is happening under the present administration."

He issued the statement yesterday after he received the letter-reply from the city mayor regarding his inquiries on three major issues which involve P46.9 million in government funds.

In his letter addressed to Mayor Dan Lim, City Auditor Loilo J. Laga and City Accountant Kurt Bungabong, the bar topnotcher requested for the documents concerning the bidding process and the program of work of the P19 million concreting project of Gallares Street, the P20 million unliquidated cash advances for 2008 and the P7.9 million involved in the missing vouchers.

De la Serna told the Chronicle that with such huge amount involved, he just received a four-paragraph reply signed by City Legal Officer Doni Piquero in behalf of the city mayor.

The request for documents behind the P46.9 million disbursements were denied by the office of the city mayor. Instead, he was asked by the mayor's office to secure copies of the documents he wanted from the Commission on Audit (COA) "since all the copies of the same are now in their possession."

In a strongly worded statement, de la Serna described city hall as "like a big criminal conspiracy to cover-up and keep the public blind as to how government funds are spent."

"It is not much different from a syndicated operation orchestrated by a boss," de la Serna stressed.

He said that the denial to release the documents is tantamount to violating R.A. 6713 on the "code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials and employees."

He cited Sec. 5 which states that public officials should "act promptly on letters and requests within 15 working days. The reply must contain the action taken on the request."

The city legal officer quoted in his letter: "Commission on Audit shall have the power, authority and duty to examine, audit and settle all accounts pertaining to the revenue and receipts of, and expenditures or uses of funds and property, owned or held in trust to the government. It shall keep the general accounts of the government and, for such period as may be provided by law, preserve the vouchers and other supporting papers thereto."

COA: GET FROM THE ACCOUNTANT

While the office of the city mayor told de la Serna to get the documents from the Commission on Audit, COA Regional director Delfin Aguilar in his letter to Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso said that the documents behind the unliquidated cash advances can be "requested from the office of the city accountant."

In is letter dated Aug 26, 2009, COA Director Aguilar said "you secure those data (unliquidated cash advances) from the Office of the Accountant of your city as he is obliged to furnish said date being one of his duties and responsibilities under Section 474 of the Local Government Code of 1991 or RA 7160.

The COA official further said "it is the duty of the accountant to prepare and submit financial statements to the governor or mayor, as the case may be, and to the Sanggunian concerned."

With this categorical statement of the COA director, it is "very surprising why Bungabong is hesitant to release the documents when all these are public documents which any citizen can request," de la Serna stressed.

NOT OFF THE HOOK

City accountant Bongabong will still be invited again during the next session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod after he failed to release last Wednesday the documents on the P20-million unliquidated cash advances and the missing vouchers.

The city accountant told the august body that he has submitted the documents to the COA.

City kagawad Zenaido "Djingo" Rama who formally wrote the city accountant asking for said documents was taken by surprise on the denial of Bungabong to release the documents when he earlier said in a radio interview that the "original copies of the supporting documents of financial transactions including the reported missing vouchers are intact in his office."

Rama said "it will not take 30 minutes for the city accountant to provide the lawmakers with certified xerox copies of the supporting documents of the missing vouchers and the unliquidated cash advances."

"The public is "not stupid to believe on the reasoning of the city accountant," Rama said.

He cited the letter of COA Director Aguilar which stated that the issuance on the list of unliquidated cash advances can be secured from the office of the city accountant as the accountant is "obliged to furnish said date being one of his duties under Sec. 474 of the Local Government Code of 1991 or RA 7160."

Rama was asked to detail anew his inquiries to the city accountant while the latter will be asked to appear again during the next session of the city lawmakers.

MAYOR BLAMES COA

In a letter to Aguilar, the mayor charged the COA to be "active participant in partisan politics," instead of safeguarding government funds.

The mayor in his letter dated Sept. 3, told the COA auditor that "issues have put the Local Government of Tagbilaran particularly the undersigned in a bad light."

He questioned why the 2008 annual audit report "found its way to various personalities other than the addresses."

The mayor asked that the local state auditors should comment on the report so that the truth can be told and for the public to know the real score.

On the reported 22 missing vouchers, the mayor denied the COA report saying the "vouchers are complete and are being safeguarded at the accounting office." He also mentioned that said missing vouchers were transmitted to COA in May this year.

However, City Accountant Bungabong admitted that some vouchers were not yet transmitted as of Sept. 5 this year like the vouchers involving Mark Leo Monton, top aide of the city mayor.