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Friday, August 17, 2007
P16.3 million advances pile up in 11 towns
By Minerva B. Gerodias
CEBU CITY -- Eleven towns in Cebu province incurred P16.3 million in unliquidated cash advances last year.
Findings of unliquidated cash advances are almost a mainstay of government audit reports year after year.
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The Commission on Audit (COA) report for 2006 operations of 11 towns showed that most of the unliquidated cash advances were released for intelligence funds and for seminars and travel expenses of municipal officials.
The cash advances accumulated because despite the yearly reminder from COA, cash advances were still released to people who have yet to liquidate previous advances.
The practice is a violation of Section 4.1.2 of COA Circular No. 97-002, which prohibits the release of additional cash advances to officials or employees who failed to settle previous ones.
COA recommended the immediate liquidation or refund from the concerned government personnel. Failing that, remedies include the withholding of salaries equivalent to the amount.
Naga tops the list of 11 towns, with a total of P4.9 million in unliquidated cash advances. OF the amount, P3 million was granted to deceased mayor Ferdinand Chiong as intelligence funds.
The rest of the P4.9 million were spent for seminars, representations, cultural shows, consultative assemblies and a Christmas festival.
Next to Naga is Barili, with P2.4 million. Among those who failed to settle cash advances is former mayor Jose Antonio Nemeño, with P791,090.
At least two employees from Barili have more than P500,000 in cash advances.
Tuburan, meanwhile, recorded P1.8 million in cash advances, P200,000 of which were used by the mayor. Auditors also noted that the purpose of most of the cash advances were not served. COA ordered an immediate refund of the releases.
San Francisco in Camotes islands also has P1.7 million in unliquidated cash advances, while both San Remegio and San Fernando towns have P1.3 million each.
San Remegio’s cash advances were mostly spent for travel while the amount from San Fernando was mostly used for intelligence funds.
The Municipality of Ronda, meanwhile, has a total of P1.03 million in cash advances, including the P100,000 granted to former mayor Mariano Blanco III.
Blanco’s mother, former vice mayor Victoria Blanco, also failed to liquidate P90,000, while one of the employees failed to settle P600,000.
Other towns that need to have cash advances liquidated are Dumanjug (P936,982.42); Sta. Fe (P326,649); Bantayan (P314,782.77) and Alcantara (P75,381.40). (Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (August 17, 2007 issue)
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