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Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Exec: Treasurer at fault over P1.8M unliquidated fund
By Victor L. Camion
BACONG, Negros Oriental -- Municipal Government liquidation officer Guadalupe Sumagka denied involvement in the release of P1.8 million for the cash advances of unnamed ranking officials of the municipality.
"I have no knowledge of any cash shortage for I do not handle actual cash, I do not participate in cash-in and cash-out transactions," Sumagka said in her counter-affidavit dated April 6, 2006.
Municipal treasurer Necito Zamora had blamed Sumagka for the cash shortage in the municipal treasury discovered by an audit of the Department of Finance on May 2 to 6, 2005.
Zamora then filed an administrative complaint for irregularity against Sumagka before the finance bureau on August 11, 2005 and a criminal complaint for malversation of public funds before the provincial prosecutors' office on January 11, 2006.
He also filed both administrative and criminal charges against his officer before the Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas on January 31, 2006.
But Sumagka instead accused the treasurer as being at fault.
"Dishonesty, if any, was committed by Zamora," said Sumagka.
"He cannot avoid accountability by passing blames to others, especially me, who does not handle any cash," Sumagka said.
She explained that municipal collectors normally deposit their cash collections to the bank and remit to the municipal treasurer the remaining cash that they failed to deposit.
"What I receive are the documents, such as deposit slips, cash vales and cash advances slips from the collectors and municipal employees for purposes of recording and reporting," she said adding, "I, therefore, have nothing to do with any cash or cash shortage."
Attached in her counter affidavit were photocopies of the acknowledgment receipts of collections signed by Zamora to prove that the municipal treasurer himself received the collections from the collectors.
She said she receives cash advances slips and cash vales slips for purposes of recording and reporting.
Also attached were machine copies of lists of the vales of municipal employees and officials as of May 6, 2005.
Sumagka said the names of those accountable should be the ones charged.
"The explanation given by Mr. Zamora addressed to the Department of Finance, Regional Office, Cebu City, is a tall tale of his sole responsibility and accountability for the cash shortage," she said.
(May 14, 2006 issue)
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