Thursday, October 02, 2008 Mayor wants City Hall worker sued over P2.68M in advances
LAPU-LAPU City Mayor Arturo Radaza recommended the filing of an administrative complaint against a former disbursing officer who allegedly failed to liquidate or refund a total P2.68 million in cash advances.
Mae Ballesteros was relieved of her post last May after the Commission on Audit (COA) discovered that her cash advances violated all the four provisions of Memorandum Circular 97-002.
City Attorney Vincent Joseph Lim said the mayor instructed him to prepare the administrative complaint because he doesn’t think it’s enough to transfer Ballesteros, considering the amount involved.
Ballesteros allegedly failed to liquidate the amount at the end of 2007, but despite that was able to take additional cash advances on Jan. 7 amounting P163,400 and P380,500, P2.059 million on Jan. 9 and P298,108 on Jan. 10.
She submitted a liquidation report, but the figure allegedly did not match the actual amount withdrawn from the City’s coffers.
She explained that no full liquidation made as of yearend as there were still salaries to be paid on Dec. 31, a reason that COA did not accept.
The memorandum circular states four rules:
l no additional cash advances shall be allowed to any official or employee unless the previous cash advance is settled;
l the cash advance shall be equal to the net amount of the payroll for a pay period;
l all cash advances shall be fully liquidated at the end of each year; and
l the accountable officer shall refund any unexpended balance to the cashier.
Another former disbursing officer said that Ballesteros could not have issued a check for the cash advances she applied for, if she lacked an official receipt from the city accountant.
But Lim said that the mayor was specific in his order for him to focus on Ballesteros. (AIV)
