Ex-mayor, 3 others face raps over cash advances

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas has recommended the filing of graft charges against former Ronda mayor Esteban Sia and three other employees over the alleged anomalous granting of cash advances amounting to over P3 million.

The anti-graft office said there is sufficient basis to believe that Sia, municipal treasurer Esperato Del Socorro, and accountant Genara Kasayan committed malversation of public funds punishable under the Revised Penal Code and violated a provision of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

Socorro will also face a criminal charge for “failure of accountable officer to render accounts,” a crime punishable under Article 218 of the Code, while accounting clerk Clark Montayre will also be charged of malversation of public funds.

In its 23-page resolution, the Ombudsman said Sia failed to account for the P2 million cash advances he incurred during his stint as mayor. It also held Del Socorro and Kasayan liable for participating in the commission of the crime.

“These cash advances could not have been released without their (Del Socorro and Kasayan) signatures and certifications Del Socorro and Kasayan, thus, they are conspirators in the crime,” reads the resolution of Ombudsman investigator Maria Corazaon Vergara-Naraja.

The case stemmed from the complaint of incumbent Ronda Mayor Mariano Blanco III and the request of the town Council for the Ombudsman to look into the questionable transactions revealed in the 2009 findings and recommendations of the Commission on Audit.

COA found that cash advances were granted to elective officials not for travel purposes in violation of its circular.

Based on its report, Esteban incurred P2 million cash advances, municipal councilors Roel Carreon with P501,687, Rogelio Dela Cruz (P209, 910), Jose Zozobrado (P260,776), Jorge Llego (P50,000), Cipriano Georpe (P50,000), and Alfred Ricahuerta (P53,000), totaling to P3.2 million.

Socorro also allegedly failed to liquidate cash advances amounting to P323,536 while Montayre allegedly failed to liquidate cash advances amounting to P464, 680.

All the cash advances remained unliquidated as of December 31, 2009.

The town also granted cash advances totaling P39,000 to contractual and job order employees, which is in violation of Section 174 (a) of the Government Accounting and Auditing Manual. The same amount was also unliquidated.

In his counter-affidavit, Sia denied that he failed to liquidate his cash advances.

He said he even directed his “trusted staff” to submit the required liquidation documents. He added that if these documents were lost in the custody of Kasayan, he should not be made responsible for it.

He stressed that the funds were all spent for a public purpose.

The municipal councilors, on the other hand, argued that liquidation papers for the amount they incurred were submitted to Kasayan, who confirmed their claims.

But Kasayan said Carreon and Zozobrado still have a balance of P27,909 and P26,160, respectively, in unliquidated cash advances. They executed affidavits giving full authority to the treasurer and accountant to deduct their liabilities from claims arising from their government services.

She also divulged that some cash advances were granted prior to her assumption as municipal accountant.

Accountant clerk Montayre did not execute a counter-affidavit to refute the allegation.

After the municipal officials expressed their stand to refute the allegations, Naraja dismissed the graft charges against the municipal councilors but sustained that of Sia, Kasayan, Del Socorro and Montayre.

Naraja said Sia should not have been allowed to incur cash advances other than for travel.

“Respondent Sia repeatedly incurred cash advances for purposes aside from travel without liquidating these or, if these were not used, without returning the money to the coffers the municipality. It was a scheme employed by respondent to obtain public funds, which he used for his personal benefit.” — (FREEMAN)