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Saturday, April 09, 2005
Mayor's 'nightmare' on P21M-cash advance
By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
AXED City Accounting Office (CAO) head Pioquito Quiñones broke his silence and said he will tell the "truth" that will be a "nightmare" of Mayor Evelio Leonardia.
Quiñones disclosed Thursday that Leonardia's greatest "secret" was the P21- million cash advance from the city's coffers, which, until now remain unliquidated.
"They really want me to get out of the City Hall because they wanted to cover Bing's secret," said Quiñones.
He added that Leonardia made the P21 million cash advance when he assumed office in July last year.
Upon assumption to office, Quiñones said Leonardia made a propaganda that the city's coffers was bleeding and putting the blame on former Mayor Luzviminda "Joy Valdez.
"But the truth of the matter was that they had asked me to source out fund for his immediate needs," said Quiñones.
He said Leonardia first asked for P5 million for the payment of the back ECOLA of public school teachers as what he promised them during the campaign period.
Instead of P5 million, Quiñones said he gave P8 million taken from the Special Education Fund or SEF.
The mayor then asked for another P8 million for other needed expenses, said the CAO head.
And instead of P8 million, Quiñones said he certified the availability of P13 million from the General Fund (GF) and the City Treasurer's Office released the amount.
"Where did he bring or spend the money? The City Accounting Office is in quandary over this still "bogus" expenses involving the P21 million cash advance," Quiñones said.
Work back
Quiñones, on the other hand, nixed Dr. Rogelio Balo, secretary to the mayor, for allegedly issuing "wrong" statements to the media on the city's accounting report needed for submission to the Commission on Audit.
He said Balo is saying that he needs to make another report but in fact, the trial balance for the city's 2004 expenditures had been finished.
"I am just asking Balo to submit necessary documents to correct some minor errors in the Trial Balance rather than making a new one," he said.
Quiñones further said the things necessary now are the journal of expenses, subsidiary ledgers and other supporting documents like the vouchers to correct the trial balance.
Failure to submit
"Balo wrote me a letter asking me to correct my report on or before April 5. I told him to give me all the necessary documents needed to correct and complete my report. But until now he failed to submit these papers to my office," said Quiñones.
"He failed to submit the papers I needed, but now he is blaming me and start lambasting me on media reports?" said Quiñones.
Among the papers Quiñones is asking from Balo include the schedules with their subsidiary ledgers from January 31 to December 31, 2004 such as account receivable, loan receivable for the Government Owned and Control Corporations (GOCCs), loan receivables for others, due from the national government agencies, due from GOCCs, due from local government units, due from other funds, other receivables, accounts payable, property and equipment and due from officers and employees.
Mouthpiece
Quiñones tagged Balo as the new "mouthpiece" of Leonardia in addition to City Legal Officer Allan Zamora.
He said Balo should remember that he is just a secretary and co-terminus in nature.
"He has no jurisdiction to supervise me because I am a department head and a career employee," he said.
"May I remind Balo to maintain being subtle rather than to be too political," said Quiñones.
(April 8, 2005 issue)
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