THE alleged irregular and suspicious release of P210 million in public funds by the Toledo City Government last year has been referred to the Fraud Audit Office (FAO) of the Commission on Audit (COA) 7.
The development came after lawyer Pablo John “PJ” Garcia requested the auditing office to release the certified true copies of some documents pertaining to the release of the amount.
“Forwarded to the FAO (of) this Commission, pursuant to COA Memorandum No. 2015-007 for appropriate action,” COA 7 Officer-In-Charge Marilou Rizarri said in her response to Garcia.
Last January, Garcia wrote Toledo City Treasurer Leonardo Rivera to ask for copies of disbursements that were made last year totaling P210 million.
However, despite citing Executive Order 2-2016 which guarantees the constitutional right to information, Garcia was unable to get a copy of the documents.
Aside from writing to Rivera, Garcia furnished copies of his letter to COA 7 and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) 7.
Last Tuesday, March 12, Garcia lodged his request for investigation into the possible plunder of public funds paid to job order (JO) employees under the “Clean and Green” program in Toledo City before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
“I thank COA for its swift action. I didn’t ask for this referral. I merely sought assistance to obtain some documents, but apparently it merited a referral to the fraud office. This is probably because of their previous finding regarding the same fraudulent scheme Toledo officials used in the fiscal year 2017,” Garcia said in a statement.
In its 2017 audit, COA had already noted the suspicious and irregular disbursement of more than P100 million of public funds as payment for the JOs in Toledo City.
In his request for investigation, Garcia said that under the Clean and Green program, certain officials of Toledo City, including the executive assistant to the mayor, the city administrator and selected councilors, nominated JO employees to be paid at a daily rate of P350.
They were purportedly tasked to perform cleaning and greening activities in the barangays.
However, Garcia said the documents show that the persons employed under the Clean and Green program were either ghost employees, fictitious persons, existing persons whose signatures were forged, or persons not actually working in the city, among others.
Garcia particularly asked the Ombudsman to make a thorough investigation against Toledo City Mayor John Henry Osmeña, executive assistant Justin Anthony de Jesus, Acting City Budget Officer Gethsemane Mahinay, City Administrator Ferdinand Marquez, City Treasurer Leonardo Rivera, Councilor Marjorie Perales, Councilor Leo Dolino and Ex-officio Councilor Ophelio Dolino.
Pending investigation, Garcia asked the Ombudsman to preventively suspend these officials.
Garcia, along with Osmeña and former Pinamungahan mayor Geraldine Yapha, is vying for the representation of Cebu’s third district in the House of Representatives.
Garcia served as congressman of the district for two terms, in 2007-2010 and 2010-2013. (RVC)