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Sunday, September 18, 2005
Opposition claims Emano covering cash advances
By Lizanilla J. Amarga
MAYOR Vicente Emano and his cohorts are "burying" their unliquidated cash advances and have been succeeding in doing so for the last five years according to accountants and opposition leaders Friday.
This is based on the report contained in the Commission on Audit Annual Audit Report for 2004.
A COA report in 2002 has already warned City Hall that such delay in reconciling records is a violation of Presidential Decree 1445 or the 1997 Revised Rules of Procedure of the Commission on Audit.
COA assistant cluster chief Mariano Kintanar stated that City Hall's cash balance per book and cash balance per bank are not properly reconciled for the past five years for failure of City Hall's Accounting Department "to prepare the required bank reconciliation statements".
Because of this, the COA report said it is having "doubts" as to the "accuracy, validity, and reliability" of items amounting to P83 million as of the prior years to December 31, 2003 there being no proper bank reconciliation statements submitted by City Hall during such years.
It reported how it had a hard time reconciling such items.
The five years of doubtful bank reconciliation statements cover 1998 to 2003, the entire period when Mayor Vicente Emano took over the reigns of the City Government.
Concerned local COA auditors who requested anonymity told Sun.Star that by not reconciling bank statements on time could lead to "doubtful accounts" and even "bury some bank transactions" as there are times that the same could no longer be properly traced.
"For our part, we even panic when we fail to reconcile our bank statements within one month what more if such bank statements are not properly reconciled for five years and involving five banks", one COA auditor said.
Negligence
They explained that by not properly reconciling bank statements with cash books is "technically a delaying tactic" used by several local government units and other agencies to buy them time should they fail to liquidate cash advances withdrawn from the bank on time or "even to deliberately bury bank transactions.
"Kanang five years nga wala ma-reconcile dapat ana ma-sanctioned na ang accounting department ug mismo ang auditor ngano na pasagdan kana...that is gross negligence", one opined.
Meanwhile, opposition leaders, Antonio Soriano and Ed Tamondong said they are going to study the COA report for possible filing of charges against those responsible for this "possible deliberate negligence."
"But in this case I cannot blame Wilma Rugay as she is acting not on her own will but under the direction of Emano", Soriano said.
He said he does not believe that City Hall would be able reconcile its bank statements of the prior years to 2003 and he would be looking into the possibility of filing charges.
Former City Councilor Dr. Bob Ocio said, "2004 COA report on P83 million questionable City funds prove that Emano made a dagdag bawas in his accounting of people's money, this report is about a can of worms and a long list of crimes which would give Emano and his council more criminal headaches at the Ombudsman. I pray that Ed Tamondong will give Emano nightmares at the Ombudsman".
(September 17, 2005 issue)
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