Sunday, August 12, 2007 Mayor’s aide says that COA report, which pointed out failure to use funds, was too sweeping
LAPU-LAPU City Mayor Arturo Radaza said he did not know there was P22 million in the city’s coffers.
The money came from different sources, including financial assistance from the congressional funds of Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu, 6th district).
“Aw, kay naa atong gastohon (Let’s spend it then),” Radaza said, adding that he could not have known about it because he was busy with his executive work.
He also said financial assistance is directly deposited to the City Treasurer’s Office and his office doesn’t necessarily get informed about it.
What is important, he added, is the money is still intact so the City can spend this in accordance with its purpose.
The annual report of the Commission on Audit (COA) said residents weren’t able to benefit from the P22 million in aid because the engineer’s office lacked manpower to prepare a program of works for various projects.
Since 2005, the total aid from Ruiz’s pork barrel alone has reached P2.4 million; the latest was P1.7 million for the purchase of equipment to improve the Special Weapons and Tactics police team’s efficiency.
The congresswoman has vowed to look into Lapu-Lapu City’s failure to use the assistance.
The P22 million in “undisturbed” funds also include the P10 million that former senator Sonny Osmeña extended to the City in 2004.
But Rolando Duero, executive secretary to the mayor, said the COA report is not entirely correct because the City had use more than half of Osmeña’s P10 million to beautify the Mactan Shrine.
“We have a balance of P2.6 million from Osmeña’s money. What is wrong with COA’s report is that it is too sweeping,” he said.
Former senator Vicente Sotto III also doled out P1.5 million to build the Marigondon South Coastal Road and for other priority programs and projects.
Radaza said the projects completed in his second term were funded by the City’s income from tax collection and other sources because he never knew about the financial aid from other government agencies and national officials. (AIV)
