Market collector wants to pay City with parcels of her lots

A FORMER market collector, who is facing malversation of public funds accusations, reportedly asked the anti-graft office to allow her to pay what she owes the City with her lot.

In an interview yesterday, Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez said former Tabunok Public Market collector Libertad Juban filed a motion to the Office of the Ombudsman to allow her to pay what she owes the City with her properties.

The Commission on Audit earlier recommended that Juban be charged with malversation of public funds.

She allegedly tampered with receipts and other records, resulting to an under remittance of P2.2 million while she was a stall rental collector of the Tabunok Public Market.

Agreement

Fernandez said that when Juban filed the motion, the Office of the Ombudsman sought the opinion of the Talisay City Government. This resulted to an agreement between Fernandez and Juban to have the latter pay off her debts by giving a portion of her 4,900-square-meter property in Barangay Jaclupan to the City.

But Fernandez said he is calling Talisay City opposition Councilor Romeo Villarante and Talisay City Legal Officer Owen Algoso to a meeting on Wednesday to discuss legalities.

During the Talisay City Council’s session last week, Villarante urged his colleagues to defer the passage of a resolution that authorizes Fernandez to sign a deal with Juban to allow the former market collector to settle her debts by giving the city a part of her land.

Compromise

Villarante said the proposed compromise agreement between Fernandez and Juban has no blessing from the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas or from the Commission on Audit.

He said the deal will only place the Talisay City Government in a bad light.

But Councilor Dennis Basillote, who is the proponent of the resolution, said the deal between Fernandez and Juban isn’t disadvantageous to the City, considering that the value of the property exceeded the former market collector’s obligations.