City Government has not lost money

THE Tacloban City Government has not lost any money, said city administrator Tecson John Lim, in the wake of a discovery that a check worth more than P20,000 was stolen by a personnel of his office.

Lim, in a press conference, said the stolen check could not be encashed considering the fact that no account’s advice was issued by the City Government to support the availability of funds.

“Let me just assure the people of Tacloban that no funds from the City was lost (because of this incident),” the city administrator said.

The check was reportedly stolen by a staff of Lim on August 2 but was discovered only when the owner of money changer deposited the check at his personal account.

The check was later declared by the bank as a bounced check. It was worth P20,860.05 and named to a wife of a City Hall employee.

The City Treasurer’s Office re-issued a new check in favor to the real owner of the check, but while the City Government did not lose any money out of this incident, they would not take it sitting down, Lim said.

“We will refer this matter to the City Legal Office for appropriate legal action against her,” Lim said.

But he appeared to suggest that her former staff could be charged under anti-fencing law.

Lim, however, asked the media not to name the suspect considering that the investigation is still in progress and as she is still presumed to be innocent.

However, the city administrator said he immediately terminated the contract service of the said personnel effective August 15.

The said employee was hired last June of this year and worked as a process server with a salary of P10,000. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)