MCIAA urged to halt investigation to avoid speculations of harassment

CEBU, Philippines – To avoid speculations of harassment against the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority, the Ombudsman – Visayas is asking MCIAA to stop its probe into the supposed “leak” of the controversial P500,000 severance pay granted to former tourism regional director Patria Aurora Roa.

The Ombudsman, after all, is now looking into the issue, said Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca – Santiago.

Santiago said she will be sending a formal letter to MCIA General Manager Danilo Augusto Francia to ask him to recall his order for an investigation. She said the MCIAA probe might be misunderstood as harassment.

Francia earlier ordered airport police chief Bonifacio Pusta to “unmask” the informers who leaked to the media the granting of the severance pay to Roa. The pay was given in line with Roa’s retirement from the MCIAA Board.

The investigating team already summoned some airport personnel, but no one has admitted responsibility to the leakage.

Meanwhile, supervising state auditor Anecita Pilapil, who is tasked to supervise audit of the airport’s financial transactions, said the Commission on Audit (COA) may start its post-audit on the grant middle of next month.

State audit procedures require government officials to submit their financial transactions to COA not later than the fifth day of every month for post-audit purposes.

Pilapil said there has been precedence in the case when Carina Sepulveda Valera, former undersecretary of the Department of Transportation of Communication, was denied of severance pay. COA has ordered the airport officials to refund the amount granted to Valera, but the airport officials raised the issue to the Supreme Court.

It can be recalled that before the P500,000 was given to Roa, Santiago personally called and spoke with a member of the airport’s legal division and asked that the release of the grant be delayed until the Ombudsman closes its investigation.

Airport officials, however, ignored the request and sent the check personally to Roa through MCIAA Board Secretary Evelyn Ramirez.

Roa, for her part, said she is ready to return the check if the MCIAA Board requires her to do so.

The board continues to stand ground that the grant is in line with what their charter provides. Francia said the airport’s charter allows them to provide decent retirement benefits to airport personnel, including the members of the MCIAA Board. (THE FREEMAN)