CFI asks Barili mayor: Look at coop finances

CEBU, Philippines - The board of directors of the Cebu CFI Community Cooperative has challenged Barili Mayor Teresito Mariñas to examine the coop records and find out his own delinquency as member.

Retired Judge Esperanza Garcia, chairperson, together with some members of the board have denied yesterday the allegation raised by Mariñas that the money of the members may have been used to finance the political campaign of the Garcia family.

“We are here to deny that,” said Garcia.

Coop director, lawyer Lito Astillero, said that because of the trust and confidence of Land Bank of the Philippines to CFI, it extended a credit line of P3.5 billion, the biggest grant of all cooperatives in the entire country.

The CFI has a total asset of almost P7 billion and a membership of almost 80,000 all over Visayas and Mindanao.

“Do you think Land Bank will agree if we will use our money for political purposes? Do you think Land Bank trust us?” Astillero said.

Garcia stressed that every transaction, deposits or withdrawals, are recorded with their cooperative.

“If Doctor Mariñas suspects that we are using the money for political purposes, he can come and examine our records being a member. He is entitled to look at our financial record,” Garcia said.

Astillero also said that if Mariñas is concerned about the coop considering that he is a member, he can personally, without going to the media, look into their finances and examine the record.

“In doing so, he will discover that in fact he is also a delinquent member,” Astillero said.

The coop officials refused to divulge the amount of money Mariñas was able to loan at the CFI which he already stopped paying.

But Garcia said of the 100 members from Barili town including Mariñas, they have deposited P1.2 million in fix deposit but the loans released amount to P12 million and they have delinquencies.

The coop officials also noticed that the letter personally brought by Mariñas to CFI office at the Capitol compound bears signatures that are difficult to verify.

Astillero reminded Mariñas that no law prohibits the coop to engage in partisan politics but CFI did not do such in the past 43 years of its existence.

“Mao nang mohangyo mi ni Mayor Mariñas nga ayaw intawn iapil ang among CFI sa iyang politika basin di unya siya ganahan mahagit mi ug moapil,” Astillero said.

With regards to possible legal action against Mariñas, both Garcia and Astillero said that they will submit it to their legal department for whatever action they may take.

On Saturday, the CFI will be having its ownership meeting which will be held in Barili. Coop director Ramon Dumayac said that it has been a tradition already that during ownership meeting, the CFI will give P150 and five kilos of rice to each member.

Dumayac said that this might be perceived again as political activity. Garcia’s son, Vice Mayor Marlon Garcia, is running for mayor against Mariñas this coming May 13 elections.

Coop vice-chairperson Alma Jaranilla said that they have invited Mariñas to attend the ownership meeting for him to know that he is a member of not good standing.

The ownership meeting allows members to pose some queries particularly on financial status of the cooperative. (FREEMAN)