Pasil councilmen file charges vs. captain

Two councilmen of barangay Pasil filed charges against their captain and treasurer for their alleged failure to properly account the proceeds and expenditures of the barangay''s water refilling project.

Councilmen Almario Bitang and Ranulfo Abejo leveled the charges against Pasil barangay captain Romeo Ocarol and barangay treasurer Corazon Veloso. They alleged that since the project became operational, the barangay did not issue official receipts to those who availed of the services of the refilling station.

Their complaint was anchored on the report of the Commission on Audit dated August 8, 2006, that said that from June 2001 to February 2004, the barangay did not issue official receipt or cash tickets to acknowledge receipt of income nor were they recorded in the barangay''s cash book, a violation of Presidential Decree 1445, that ordained and instituted a Government Auditing Code of the Philippines.

In the same report, COA said the operation of the water refilling station was likened to a private enterprise with the barangay treasurer collecting the sales/income as reported by the person-in-charge in the refilling station and recorded the same in a sales notebook. Likewise, sales income was reportedly used to defray operating expenses incurred in the operation of the business.

COA also said that the barangay council did not enact an appropriation ordinance that authorized the incurrence of the obligation and that disbursements were paid without the required certification and approval of the officials concerned, which is a violation of the Barangay Audit Manual.

With national and local elections in May and barangay elections in October, Bitang and Abejo said their complaint has nothing to do with politics but is purely anchored on the COA findings.

In their affidavit to the Ombudsman, they said that on August 10, 2003, the barangay council passed a resolution calling for an accounting of the operations of the water refilling station, however no action was taken.

But Ocarol is convinced that the complaint is tainted with politics and that with the filing of the complaint, he already knows who his enemies are.

Ocarol admitted there was no receipt issued when the operation of the refilling station started, however, official receipts have been given since this year after the Ombudsman advised them to do so. He also said all transactions have been recorded in the barangay''s cashbook.

He also assured he and barangay treasurer Abejo will cooperate in the investigation. - Joeberth M. Ocao and Ramil V. Ayuman/BRP