Ombuds probing City Hall worker

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas will look into the concern raised by concerned citizens on unliquidated cash advances amounting to P4.7 million allegedly made by a Cebu City Hall employee.

 “We are writing this letter simply to bring to your attention an unliquidated cash advance made by Carlos “Charlie” Reyes III. His cash advances amounting to P4,727,000 was made last 2012,” the document reads.

Reyes is reportedly an administrative assistant of the Office of the Mayor.

In their letter, the concerned citizens questioned why the issue on the unliquidated cash advances of Reyes was not forwarded to the anti-graft office when another city government employee, a certain Julieta Marquita, was already suspended of the same offense.

The concerned citizens learned though that at present, the said amount has been deducted from Reyes’ salary to cover the unliquidated cash advance.

“At present he is allowing the city accountant to have payroll deductions from his salary to cover his unliquidated cash advance. Such payroll deduction is not accepted by the Commission on Audit (COA) rules and regulations,” the document further reads.

The concerned citizens asked the anti-graft office to immediately act on their letter, which was filed on March 13, 2015.

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said if the Office of the Ombudsman will issue a subpoena for the city to produce evidence, they will produce documents to be used during trial.

 “If the Ombudsman will take cognizance of the complaint and so be it. Let it be investigated. The city will cooperate and submit documents that would help in the investigation of the case,” he said.

 Moreover, Labella said that they will not meddle in the Ombudsman investigation by conducting a separate inquiry.

 “It will go in a normal course. In the first place, the city council does not have administrative disciplinary authority over appointed official of the city but only refers to elective officials in the barangay,” he said.

 City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas did not deny yesterday that Reyes had cash advances totaling P4.7 million but said that they are now down to P1 million. 

The P4.687 million cash advances granted to Reyes on July 3 and August 7, 2012 were reportedly for the prizes and trophies for winners of basketball tournaments and other various sports activity programs in different barangays.

Cuevas further cited the provision of COA that only regular employees authorized by the city mayor are allowed to make cash advances.

With the outstanding unliquidated cash advances, Cuevas said the accounting department withheld Reyes’ salaries since January 2013.  

 Reyes is still working at the Mayor’s office.

 The liquidation was supposed to be done within 30 days as stipulated by the Commission on Audit, said Cuevas.

The COA procedure requires the withholding of salaries once a government official fails to liquidate cash advances within 30 days. 

Reyes earlier admitted that he could not fully liquidate the amount yet because he has yet to gather all supporting documents.

City Financial Control Division Officer-in-charge Mark Jason Tirol earlier said they are now imposing stricter rules on granting cash advances.

He said he would send three demand letters to all employees who still have unliquidated cash advances and afterwards, the legal office would identify probable legal actions.  (FREEMAN)