Some already dead, others resigned City officials owe coffers over P93M

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Audit has asked Mayor Michael Rama to require city officials and employees who still have P93.5 million worth of unliquidated cash advances from the city’s funds to settle the amount, otherwise the proper charges shall be filed against them.

Records show that millions of pesos worth of cash advances were granted to the selected officials and employees in 2011 during the first term of Rama, but until now the concerned persons still failed to liquidate the amount entrusted to them.

COA said the amount of unliquidated cash advances as of April 13, 2013 has reached over P101 million and only P8 million had been liquidated as of last December 31.

It was learned that selected officials and employees of Cebu City had been granted millions of pesos worth of government funds to be used for their respective offices, but they failed to comply with the law to liquidate the funds within one up to two months.

COA added some of these officials and employees were allowed new cash advances even as they had pending unliquidated accounts.

One of the mayor’s trusted staff was granted a P4 million cash advance for the city’s sports activities but failed to liquidate the whole amount on time, prompting then city accountant and now city treasurer Diwa Cuevas to withhold his salary since January last year.

Some of the cash advances were granted to officials and employees to be spent for their travels around the country and abroad. The Government Accounting and Auditing Manual provides that cash advances granted for foreign official travel shall be liquidated two months after their return, and one month for local official travel.

Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code provides that the failure of a government officer or employee to liquidate public funds entrusted to them upon demand by any duly authorized officer shall be prima facie evidence that he or she has put such funds or property to personal use.

The state auditors said the mayor should issue a final notice and demand to the concerned officials and employees for them to settle their accounts, otherwise their salaries shall not be released and charges for malversation of funds may be filed against them.

The city officials explained to COA that several of the concerned city officials and employees are still in the process of collating their supporting documents to prove that the amount granted to them were really used for official purpose.

However, it was learned that some of those persons who still have unliquidated cash advances from the city are already dead, while some of the officials are no longer in government service.

COA recommended to the mayor that if the concerned persons still fail to settle their obligation he must consider the filing of malversation charges under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code for failure to liquidate the public funds entrusted to them. —/BRP (FREEMAN)