Pasay councilor files libel vs Liga officials

All is not well with Pasay City’s barangay leaders.

A P2-million libel suit has been filed by a city councilor, representing Pasay’s barangay chairmen association, against his own executive vice president and auditor for coming out with an "unauthorized audit report" showing financial irregularities.

Generoso Cuneta, youngest son of the late former Pasay City mayor Pablo Cuneta, charged Pasay’s Liga ng mga Barangay executive vice president Emmanuel Cinco and auditor Jose Cardano with libel in the Pasay City prosecutor’s office, saying the report is a mere "demolition job."

"At first glance, the evil intent is obvious, simply to cast dishonor and discredit the leadership and reputation of Councilor Generoso Cuneta ... as patently shown in the said report," said the complaint.

According to Cardano’s exhaustive three-page report covering the period 1999-2000, P120,000 of a total of P260,000 in cash advances remain unliquidated; their group owes the national barangay league P402,000 in unpaid dues; and that projects and seminar activities suffered a total deficit of P87,708.

Cardano added that had it not been for donations to these projects, the deficit would have ballooned to P333,608. He also alleged, among others, that checks were issued without sufficient funds and that expenses were paid without the required "disbursement vouchers."

The report was reportedly disseminated to all barangay officials in the city.

But Cuneta based his libel complaint on the alleged "malicious and baseless imputation" in the report of Cardona stating; "That I firmly believe that the Liga is financially and operationally mismanaged." "Usage of Liga fund for personal use," and "this obligation (to the national barangay league) should have been paid in full or if not partially if the President (Cuneta) and concerned officers did not allow himself to use the fund for their personal gain and use."

The audit report, said to be based on records available, should have also covered 1998 but the document was not reportedly available. It could not be immediately determined if Cuneta was able to explain the financial irregularities attributed to him.

Cuneta and the Liga officials hold office at the Pasay City Hall. – Jose Aravilla