Capitol raps Mayor Loot

CEBU, Philippines - Capitol has filed an administrative complaint against Daanbantayan Mayor Ma. Luisa Loot, a political foe of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, for failing to remit the province's share of the real property taxes collected by the town.

Provincial Treasurer Roy Salubre filed the complaint before the Provincial Board against Loot for misconduct in office, dereliction of duty and or abuse of authority.

The complaint was calendared in yesterday's regular session of the PB and it was referred to the committee of the whole.

The Municipality of Daanbantayan is mandated by law to remit 35 percent of the real property taxes collected and other revenues to the Province of Cebu.

While the municipality has been regularly remitting the share of the Province from January 2009 until January 2011, Salubre alleged that the town has failed to remit on time or grossly delayed the remittance of the share of the province from February 2011 until June 2011.

Records show that shares for the said period were only remitted on March 2012 in the amount of P969,922.08.

“Worst, the Municipality of Daanbantayan, Cebu failed, and still fails, until the present to remit the share of the Province of Cebu for July, 2011 to present,” the complaint said.

Salubre said that several verbal and written demands were made to the Municipality of Daanbantayan, but these have allegedly been unheeded.

Municipal Treasurer Eva de Leon allegedly told Salubre that although she had already prepared the checks that will be paid to the province for said remittances, Loot did not want to remit the share and did not sign the checks causing the same to become stale.

Salubre alleged that despite said verbal and written demands, it was only on March 9, 2012 that remittances for the months of February 2011 until June 2011 were made with other due remittances not being made until the present.

He said that the act of Loot to “deliberately, intentionally and blatantly delaying or refusing to remit the share of the Province of Cebu in the real property taxes collected by the municipality are in violation of Section 307 of the Local Government Code.”

Committing such acts constitutes misconduct in office, dereliction of duty and or abuse of authority, said Salubre.

In filing the said complaint, Salubre asked the PB to put Loot under preventive suspension pending proceedings considering that the evidence of guilt against her is strong and there is a great probability that the continuance in office could influence the witnesses or pose a threat to the safety and integrity of the records.

Mayor loot's side

Loot told The FREEMAN that she already got copy of the complaint and it will be answered soon when PB sends her the notice to answer. Loot confirmed that indeed there was a delay in the payment of some remittances.

“Nakabayad na ta, wa nata' utang, ka istrikto ba sad oy, ka gamay ra sa delay,” Loot said.

Loot said that this is obviously political harassment.

“Public knowledge naman na nga kontra mi ni Gov. Gwen sa politika.” Loot added that she already instructed de Leon to process the payment of other remittances.

Loot and Garcia used to be political allies until their falling apart after the 2010 elections.

The mayor lambasted the governor, whom she branded as a ‘dictator’ and this resulted to her being kicked out from the Once Cebu Party that Garcia heads. — /NLQ (FREEMAN)