Soc: Nothing irregular in calamity fund use

CEBU, Philippines - Former Talisay City mayor and now city Councilor Socrates Fernandez sees nothing irregular in having spent P7 million of the calamity fund in 2012 for motor vehicle repair and honorarium of job-order workers. 

The state auditors recommended that the respective payees and the persons or city hall officials responsible for the processing, approving, and paying of the highly questionable disbursements be required to refund the amount. 

But Fernandez explained that “in preparing to avert catastrophes, our trucks should be repaired if they were immobilized, so that these vehicles during calamity would be used to transport victims to safe places and to provide goods to them.” 

Fernandez insisted the act is not disallowed to extract pre-calamity fund. 

The audit reports noted that city hall spent P18.1 million or 82.72 percent of its calamity fund from January to December last year. 

COA said P2.6 million was also spent for asphalting and construction of the city’s drainage system; P2.755 million for the repair and maintenance of motor vehicles; P120,000 on consultancy fees; and P1.5 million on the daily wage honorarium of job-order employees.

However, Fernandez said the disbursements are related to disaster reduction, preparedness, and mitigation.

“Primarily these programs for pre-calamity preparedness, and its appropriation, like the funds to be used during actual calamity is prudently approved by the city council,” Fernandez said. 

Fernandez maintained that with the authority of the council’s approval, he was aware that his act was not illegal. 

The programs charged to the calamity fund were included in the City Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan and that the asphalting and construction of the city’s drainage system was in conformity with calamity preparedness. â€“ (FREEMAN)