Saturday, October 11, 2008 NBI awaits certificate, laboratory results before filing 2 more cases against Joavan
Apart from City officials, RTC judge, fiscal still have to account for cash advances
ASIDE from City Hall officials and employees, the Mandaue City Accounting Office has ordered the treasurer to withhold the salaries of two officials in the judiciary for unliquidated cash advances.
Regional Trial Court Judge Marilyn Lagura-Yap and Assistant City Prosecutor Wilfredo Pangandoyon are now among the 14 officials and employees who will not receive their salaries until they account for the cash advances they incurred between 2004 and 2008.
In a letter to City Treasurer Lorna Atega, City Ac-countant’s Office officer-in-charge Ernesto Maringuran requested her to withhold salaries and allowances of the officials, who failed to comply with their demand letters pursuant to Commission on Audit circular 2006-001 dated Nov. 9, 2006.
But Mayor Jonas Cortes, who failed to account for P164,255.76 for his travels to Manila and Netherlands, was not included in the list of those whose salaries or allowances will be withheld.
In its request to the City Treasurer, the City Accountants Office presented two documents—the summary of cash advances with the names, amount, date and status of cash advances; and Maringuran’s letter to Atega requesting to withhold the salaries or allowances of the 14 officials.
Maringuran’s summary on the cash advances indicated that Yap already submitted required documents for her P14,920 cash advance granted last March 2008.
But the acting city accounted wrote “with deficiency” on the summary.
Yap’s clerk of court Bernie Flores said the judge is ready to refund the extra amount from the cash advance granted to her by the City.
The City granted the judge P14,920 for her trip but Yap only spent P11,286 because of an airline company’s promotional rate.
Flores promised to return the amount to the City Treasurer’s Office on Monday together with the receipts for liquidation.
Pangandoyon, according to Maringuran’s summary, has not submitted any document to account for the P5,690 cash advance for a trip in September 2004.
Pangandoyon, who receives P3,000 monthly allowance from the City, was surprised yesterday to learn of his unliquidated cash advance but said he is willing to settle it.
He said he was getting monthly deductions for his cash advances during the time of former mayor Thadeo Ouano.
He said the City even withheld his monthly allowance when Cortes took over, but it was later resumed.
“Meaning to say, wa na ko’y unliquidated cash advance,” he said.
He said he will coordinate with the City Accountant’s Office on the matter.
Also named in Maringuran’s letter to Atega is the mayor’s chief of staff Louella Cabañero, with a P550,000-unliquidated cash advance in 2007.
Cabañero was still absent due to an illness yesterday but the mayor’s secretary Ernie Manatad said officials under the City Mayor’s Office are already in the process of submitting the required documents for the liquidation. (OCP)
