Thursday, August 17, 2006
Bogo mayor met P6M lady 'only once'
By Jeanette P. Malinao
With Minerva B. Gerodias
CEBU CITY -- Mayor Celestino "Tining" Martinez III on Wednesday pointed out that the Municipality of Bogo merely served as the "releasing agency" for the P6 million given to Sikap Yaman Foundation in 2004, and that it wasn't the municipality's money.
As the fund was already earmarked for the non-government organization (NGO), he released it when the foundation followed up on the cash.
"It had nothing to do with us, we were just holding their money for them. We can't touch that," Martinez told Sun.Star Cebu Wednesday night.
The mayor added he will coordinate with Tuburan, where Sikap Yaman supplied overpriced fertilizers, and support whatever action they will have to take, including filing a case against the group.
When asked whether he knows the officials of the NGO, Martinez said, "I met this lady when they followed up on the release, then wa na nibalik (she never returned) so I thought their papers were in order. But anyway, there's still enough time to look into it."
Martinez assured he will write the foundation and tell it to liquidate. "We will do that," he said.
Sikap Yaman Foundation, which got millions from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (Pdaf) of Representative Clavel Asas-Martinez through the Municipality of Bogo, was named as supplier of an allegedly illegal fertilizer transaction in Tuburan.
Tuburan Mayor Rosemarie Suezo said she is willing to refund the P250,000 the town had spent for the liquid fertilizers, as ordered by the Commission on Audit (COA).
COA has learned that Tuburan paid P250,000 for liquid fertilizers when the actual cost of the items was only P45,000. The town also did not conduct any bidding before buying the fertilizers in February last year.
COA ordered an immediate refund of the amount spent.
Same address
The foundation was established in April 1999.
Surprisingly, its five incorporators have the same residence: 215G D. Tuazon Street, Quezon City.
Written on the blank space for the "principal office" of the association is the same address.
The COA had said in its report for Tuburan's irregular fertilizer purchase that it sent a letter to the association's address to ask for its articles of incorporation.
But the postal service returned their letter because the address was unknown.
In the articles of incorporation that Sun.Star Cebu obtained, the incorporators are listed as Marcelo Balmaceda, Juliet Chan, Nonita Ocenar, Helen Bayucan and Marissa Rugay.
The five were also named as trustees, with a contribution of P10,000 each. Ocenar is named as treasurer, and authorized to "receive for and in the name of the association all contributions paid or given by the members."
Foundation
The incorporators also got their community tax certificates on the same date and from the same place, and the articles of incorporation was notarized by a certain Tomas P. Boquiren, notary public.
The foundation enumerated its purposes as:
* To encourage countryside livelihood project for the less depressed and poor countrymen;
* To assist deserving and needy people especially the young generation in their educational ambition;
* To solicit funds in the form of loans, grants and aids for the purpose of extending financial assistance to the members of the foundation;
* To acquire, produce, own, hold, lease, mortgage, pledge, exchange, sell, transfer or otherwise invest, trade or deal in every manner permitted by law, real personal property of every kind, description or any interest therein as may be necessary for the attainment of the objectives of the foundation;
* To coordinate with the proper government agencies in the delivery of services needed in the community; and
* To help, improve, equip, and modernize buildings libraries laboratories, research facilities and the like to receive donations in cash or in kind and if needed to raise money to accomplish any and all its purpose."
Who pays?
As for the unauthorized travels of members of Bogo's Municipal Council, Mayor Martinez said he has nothing to do with it because it was the vice mayor who headed the delegation to Singapore.
But he said he already told his officials to check with COA and justify the expenses, and reimburse if they must.
On the P10 million Pdaf fund that Bogo deposited only after four months from receipt, he said what's important is that it was already deposited. "Ang kwarta sa lungsod wa gyud hilabti (No one messed with the town's money)," he said.
Suezo, in a radio interview, revealed that Tuburan's officials were first told about the liquid fertilizers during a meeting of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) in Manila.
The funds for it were not coursed through the town. The Department of Agriculture only delivered the fertilizers.
She said she will just take responsibility for it, as she was the one who signed the receipt when the items were delivered and she will just pay as COA ordered.
"Mangayo lang ko ug kwarta sa akong papa (I'll just have to ask my father for money)," she said.
No agenda
In a separate interview, LMP President Ronald Allan Cesante said he could not recall that the fertilizer supply was discussed in any of their meetings.
"It's not in the agenda and the records can vouch for that," he said, adding that the other mayors may have been individually approached or some mayors may have grouped themselves and they were told about the fertilizers.
Cesante revealed that he was also offered the liquid fertilizers but he declined because he did not find it fit for the farmers in Dalaguete, Cebu.
Argao was also named to have committed an irregular transaction when it spent P1.7 million for fertilizers without complying with the regulations.
Argao Mayor Wilfedo Caminero, however, refused to comment on the issue. (Sun.Star Cebu)
(August 17, 2006 issue)
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