Monday, April 21, 2003
Auditors suspend 6 city officials’ pay
By GINGGING A. CAMPAÑA
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
MORE Cebu City Hall officials did not get their salaries for March for failing to settle on time their unliquidated cash advances that totaled P500,759.69.
This is on top of the previous batch of City Hall officials whose salaries were also withheld for their failure to settle cash advances, which amounted to P2.11 million.
City Audit Team Leader Josephine O. Daclan urged Mayor Tomas Osmeña to order former city accountant Edna Jaca to explain why additional cash advances were granted to six officials despite pending unliquidated amounts.
Daclan’s comments were contained in six separate audit observation memos, coursed through City Administrator Juan Saul Montecillo, dated March 26, 2003.
Also, Daclan wanted Acting Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) Chief Lydia Salarda, Administrative Officer Veronica Morelos of the City Treasurer’s Office and Engr. Eduardo Potot of the Office of the Building Superintendent to settle their cash advances, within 20 days upon receipt of the order.
Otherwise, they are required to refund the amount.
Accountability
The same order also went to Vice Mayor Michael Rama’s Administrative Officer Grace Melicor, Division for Welfare of the Urban Poor Chief Noel Artes and Engr. Dionisio Gualiza, assistant chief of the Department of Public Services.
All of them were held accountable for violating the State Audit Code of the Philippines and Commission on Audit (COA) Memorandum Circular 97-002.
Following Montecillo’s endorsement of Daclan’s order, City Accountant Palermo Lugo then withheld the salaries of these officials, pending immediate submission of vouchers with receipts and other supporting documents to his office.
Sun.Star tried to contact the concerned officials but got no answer from their mobile phones, except for Artes.
Artes confirmed he did not get his salary. He tried to ask Montecillo for reconsideration but this was denied.
However, Artes told Sun.Star he already processed the vouchers for liquidation.
Salarda was held accountable for unsettled cash advances worth P7,420.
Hospital fees
Post-audit of the transaction disclosed that her cash advances were granted for the renewal of CCMC’s Medicare accreditation with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.; annual membership fee for CCMC to the Philippine Hospital Association; and 13 monitoring films used in the X-ray department.
Salarda got the cash advances on Feb. 18, 2002, March 25, 2002 and Oct. 11, 2002.
Gualiza got his P180,000 cash advance on July 31, 2002 for the purchase of “urgently needed parts and accessories” as well as machining jobs and other repair needed for the City’s various equipment at the DPS garage.
But as of Dec. 31, 2002, he already had an existing account of P21,525. So, his total accumulated cash advance hit P201, 525.
According to a post-audit, Artes was granted P25,000 on Oct. 21, 2002 for expenses in the preparation for the arrival of President Arroyo. But accounting records show that as of Dec. 31, 2002, this remained unliquidated.
Morelos, for her part, has to settle an accumulated cash advance of P107,193. She got P82,000 on May 28, 2002 for a three-day seminar on Spring Trainor’s Training on May 31, 2002.
Morelos has not yet cleared her account and it turned out that she still has to settle some P25,192 for 2001.
Sinulog props
Potot needs to liquidate P10,000, which he used in the emergency purchase of supplies and materials for the repair and maintenance of various offices at City Hall.
Melicor was granted P200,000 for the purchase of costumes and props for the Cebu City Sinulog contingent and other needs for the Sinulog 2002 grand parade.
However, as of Dec. 31, 2002, accounting records show that she still has to liquidate P149,621.69.
Last week, Daclan issued a memorandum to Osmeña reminding him that resident ombudsman Romeo Cordova, Engr. Samuel Dy and Norman del Mar of the Sanitary Landfill, and Anita Atay of the City Resource Management and Development Center needed to settle their accounts.
Citing the State Audit Code of the Philippines, Daclan’s memo said all cash advances should be fully liquidated at the end of each year.
Except for the petty cash fund, the accountable officer shall refund any unspent amount to the cashier, who will issue the needed official receipt, Daclan said.
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WITH UNSETTLED
CASH ADVANCES
Second batch
1. DPS assistant chief Dionisio Gualiza
— P201,525
2. Vice Mayor’s administrative officer
Grace Melicor—P149,621.69
3. CTO administrative Officer Veronica
Morelos—P107,193
4. DWUP Chief Noel Artes
—P25,000
5. Eduardo Potot of the Office
of the Building Superintendent—P10,000
6. Acting CCMC Chief Lydia Salarda
—P7,420
First batch
1. Resident Ombudsman Romeo Cordova
—P1.7 million
2. Former acting DPS chief Samuel Dy
— P250,000
3. Cremdec’s Anita Atay
—P113,980.30
4. Norman del Mar of the Sanitary Landfill
—P50,000
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