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Sunday, February 23, 2003
Dad questions cash advances, reimbursements at Capitol
By Lizanilla J. Amarga and Joey Nacalaban
PROVINCIAL Board Member Norris Babiera is suspicious over the procedure of cash advances and reimbursements in the Capitol, as hundreds of regular employees working on field have not been reimbursed in their travel expenses due to the "lack of cash".
Babiera is also questioning how the secretaries of Gov. Antonio Calingin secretaries were able to withdraw P7.5 million in cash advances since Dec. 31 last year to Feb. 11 this year.
"Naa gyud nay sayop diha kay nganong ang mga field workers nga supposedly I reimburse na ilang travel expenses dili mahatagan pero kanang cash advances mahatagan dayon (There is something wrong in there as why are the reimbursements of these field workers were not given but several cash advances were released immediately)," he said.
He added that the travel papers for reimbursement of these field workers have piled so far up and has somewhat gathered some dust in the accounting office.
Babiera claimed that there were some field engineers, road maintenance workers who report the status of provincial roads every 15 days who complained to him about this abnormality.
He also discovered that there are also several provincial health officers and doctors, tax collectors and assessors and other field staff whose travel expenses weren't reimbursed since late last year.
'Kumadre'
Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro went to the offices of Calingin and provincial accountant Catalino Salahi but both were unavailable as of presstime Friday.
Three Calingin secretaries one of whom is his "komadre" were able get around P7.5 million in cash advances since Dec. 31 last year to Feb. 11 this year.
In the list of cash advances the names, Joy Marata has appeared for seven times as her cash advance has amounted to P4.25 million already.
Nasla Almirante has been able to withdraw cash advances for three times with a cash advance now amounting to P1.5 million. She is the mother of Jordana who is the wife of Gov. Calingin's son, Andy.
There was also the name of another Calingin officer Roque Barras appeared once with P1.75 million for a "strategic planning" in Boracay last Jan. 20.
Marata, Almirante and Barras are reportedly working in Gov. Antonio Calingin's executive office. They are not bonded officials.
Useless
Their comments were sought but Marata and Barras were nowhere. Almirante was outside the governor's office chatting around but when she saw the reporters she said she was busy and went inside.
Meantime, in a related development Babiera refuted the statement of Provincial Attorney Demosthenes Arbilon that their probe this Monday afternoon will result only to a "duplicity of laws".
He said while Arbilon in an interview at dxCL Angel Radyo claimed to have been misquoted his statement that the PB doesn't have the investigative powers as that of Congress and the Senate were wrong.
This as according to Babiera the only difference between that of the powers of Congress and Senate with that of a PB, a city council and a barangay council is the power to subpoena a person.
He also took exception to Arbilon's statement that their investigation will prove "useless" in the end and vowed to reveal the anomalous procedures in the province in due time.
(February 22, 2003 issue)
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