Lifestyle check on MCC president, secretary sought

CEBU, Philippines - Resigned officials of the Mandaue City College are asking the Office of the Ombudsman and the Commission on Audit to submit the college president, Dr. Paulus Mariae Cañete, and his secretary, Katrina Cortes, to a lifestyle check.

 Dr. Emedio Bustillo, Dr. Nelson Ducay, Dr. Benjamin Luague, Jeffbeck Coca and Luz Batobalonos signed the undated letter addressed to Deputy Ombudsman Pelagio Apostol and the Resident Auditor of COA in Mandaue City.

 They alleged that Cañete and Cortes are collecting fees and other charges from students with the use of government forms but the money collected allegedly do not go to government coffers.

They also showed a brief summary of MCC’s sources of income, including a list of 13 vehicles allegedly owned by Cañete.

Cañete, for his part, said he is open to an investigation.

 “I have not received the complaint. Besides no government funds were given. I’m open for the investigation and willing to submit myself for whatever investigation,” he said.

He said the money collected are not government funds.

 “How can it be given to Mandaue City coffers when it is clear that MCC is a corporation with own juridical personality distinct from the Mandaue City government?” he said.

Besides, he said, he has been waiting for either COA or the Ombudsman to look into the status of MCC to justify that its employees are indeed government employees.

Mandaue Mayor Jonas Cortes has not recognized MCC as a government institution and has not given its salaries for its staff and funding of up to P10 million.

“Dugay nako paabot nga ang COA ug Ombudsman mo-investigate to justify our claim that we are government employees not recognized by the Mayor,” he said.

Earlier, the complainants withdrew their support for Cañete and resigned from the college due to alleged serious and unbearable strained relationship with the members of the academic and administrative corps.

 Bustillo said they decided to resign because Cañete failed to implement the several changes, transparency included, that they have requested.  (FREEMAN)