Compostela officials face raps

CEBU, Philippines - Claiming irregularities in the release of P6.9 million for back wages, the concerned citizens of Compostela town asked the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas to investigate their municipal officials.

Susisa Amor Makiling, 73, a resident of Barangay Cambayog, Compostela, asked the Ombudsman to conduct a fact-finding investigation on the appropriation and release of P6.9 million from public funds for back wages of the officials who assumed office recently.

Makiling said they requested the documents in relation to the “questionable release” but was refused.

“The refusal appears to cover up the irregularities in the release of the back salaries,” the complaint reads.

The Compostela municipal officials who are the subject of the said complaint are Mayor Joel Quino, Vice-Mayor Mary Antonette Dangoy, Councilors Josephine Abing, Joy Ann Cabatingan, Alfredo Cabatingan, Homer Canen, Alfredo Calo, Tessa Cang, Jose Cagang and Francisco Oliverio, ABC president Joven Amor and SK Federation President Daisy Rell Lopez.

Makiling said the release of P6.9 million constitutes graft, grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to best interest of the service.

“The undersigned as concerned citizens of Compostela believe that said municipal officials are not entitled to back salaries,” the complaint reads.

Aside from Makiling, other complainants were Abraham Paradiang, Edgar Maestrado, Candelario Quimbo, Socrates Melendres, Lilibeth Gahi and Gloria Jayme, who alleged that from June 30, 2012 to March 5, 2012, the said officials were not allowed to assume office after their proclamation were suspended.

They said that while the election protest was pending, officials from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) were the ones running the town.

They said that it was on March 6, 2012, that the said officials took their oath and assumed office.

Maestrado said they voluntarily filed the complaint being concerned citizens and said politics is not involved.

The Freeman failed to reach Compostela Mayor Joel Quiño yesterday but Councilor Tessa Cang confirmed that they already received their back pay.

Cang said they will just wait to be summoned by the anti-graft office to answer the complaint filed against them.

The Land Bank reportedly released the amount of P6.9 million which was received by Quiño and the rest of the members of the municipal council last March 30.

The municipal officials who received the back pay signed waivers that they will return the money if disapproved by the Provincial Board or disallowed by the Commission on Audit (COA).

The Appropriation Ordinance covering the amount for their back pay is yet to be approved by the provincial board.

Other items in the Municipal Appropriation Ordinance are statutory obligations like the adjustments on the salaries of personnel, which is mandated by law.

The back pay covered the period of July 2010 to March 5, 2012 when Quiño, Dangoy and the councilors were allegedly not public officials yet.

On May 11, 2010, Quiño, Dangoy and the municipal councilors were indeed proclaimed and took their oath of office on June 2010.

But in the same month, there was a suspension on the effects of the proclamation, and so, there was no assumption to office.

They were finally proclaimed winners on March 5, 2012 and officially assumed office on March 6, 2012. (FREEMAN)