Capitol has P14 million unliquidated cash advances

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Audit chided the Cebu Provincial Government for its laxity and failure to observe the rules and regulations in the granting of cash advances to officials and employees that resulted to the ballooning unliquidated cash advances last year.

The COA annual audit report of the Capitol’s 2008 financial statements showed that the unliquidated cash advances in 2007 was almost doubled last year because of the provincial government’s failure to observe the rules and regulations prescribed under COA circular No. 97-002.

State auditors reported that the Capitol’s unliquidated cash advances last year has ballooned to P14,018,155.39 compared to the P8.7 million in 2007.

There are over 200 Capitol officials and employees including those from the national government agencies stationed in the province who have not liquidated their cash advances.

Among those who have unliquidated cash advances are Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who spent P668,912.06, which she used during her travel in Sabah, Malaysia; Austria; Slovenia and New York.

PB members Wenceslao Gakit, P433,263.39; Agnes Magpale, P303,334.38; Peter John Calderon, P110,347.36; Juan Bolo, P 212, 341.65; Wilfredo Caminero, P 110,347.36;  Teresita Celis, P54,358.66; Victoria Corominas, P57,183.26; Jose Maria Gastardo, P54,165.26; Victor Maambong P 110,347.36; Alfred Francis Ouano,P112,156; and Ceasar Ian Zambo, P53,865.26.

Provincial Treasurer Roy Salubre has the biggest amount of unliquidated cash advances amounting to P4.092 million, followed by the governor’s protocol officer Ronald Conopio with P1.083 million and executive assistant Elizabeth Francia P850,126.26.

The COA also found out that former Capitol officials whose terms already expired have unsettled cash advances. These include former board members Estrella Yapha, P19,700; Orvi Ortega, P3,000; Manuel Masangkay, P40,000; Federico Mercado, P100; Roberto Librando, P10,402; Carmiano Kintanar, P5,362.02;and Raul Bacaltos, P13,008.

The other former Capitol officials who still have unliquidated cash advances include Atty. Achilles Cañete and former provincial administrator Francisco Japson.

The general guidelines under the COA circular states that “no additional cash advances shall be allowed to any official or employee unless previous cash advance given to him is first settled or a proper accounting thereof is made.”

The guidelines further oblige the official or employee who was granted the cash advance to report as soon as the purpose of which it was granted has been served. — Fred P. Languido/WAB   (FREEMAN NEWS)