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Friday, August 26, 2005
Poro VM claims good faith; mayor ‘surprised’
Poro Vice Mayor Ronald Carcellar said the Municipal Council “acted in good faith” when it approved a resolution authorizing Mayor Edgar Rama to purchase fertilizers for the farmers.
“It’s the kind of assistance that we felt we should not forego, at least the people will also benefit. So after a thorough deliberation, we approved a resolution (authorizing the mayor) as part of our job,” Carcellar told Sun.Star Cebu.
The Commission on Audit (COA) earlier named members of the Poro Municipal Council among those liable for the “excessive” purchase of almost P5 million in liquid fertilizer.
Their involvement, however, was only in the passage of the resolution authorizing the mayor for a direct purchase.
COA had found that the town violated the law.
In an audit observation issued in July last year, Barbara Ann Aloba, audit team leader, said the reason for the direct purchase was “not clearly stated.”
Mayor Edgar Rama reportedly called for a special session on May 13, 2004. The fertilizer purchase was one of the two items in the agenda.
However, COA noted that the delivery and acceptance of the goods were made the same day that the resolution was passed.
As a result, COA asked Poro officials to refund immediately 92 percent of the P4,999,500 they used to buy 3,333 bottles of liquid organic fertilizer.
It was overpriced by 1,092 percent, since the fifth-class town could have bought the fertilizer at P125.75 per bottle, instead of the P1,500 per bottle it paid to Perzebros Co.
Rama, in an interview with radio dyLA yesterday, defended the purchase, saying they had already explained to COA the price of the fertilizer.
He said he was surprised it’s only now that the COA report came out.
The fertilizer purchase was “to increase corn production and improve the economic condition of the farmers,” which they considered “urgent.”
COA also found the purchase “irregular, unreasonable and exorbitant.” It was funded from Rep. Joseph Ace Durano’s Priority Development Assistance Funds, coursed through the Department of Agriculture.
(Durano has been named tourism secretary.)
The goods were not stored safely, as these were placed only at the local government unit’s lobby, and there was also no inventory. The copy of the agreement, on file, is also not signed.
Aside from Rama and councilors, former municipal treasurer Helen Cabonegro and Municipal Treasurer Anna Lissa Booc were also named liable for signing the voucher for the availability of the released funds.
COA is asking Poro town government to submit a listing of identified beneficiaries. (JPM)
(August 26, 2005 issue)
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