BACOLOD City Councilor Caesar Distrito said on Tuesday they will give a chance to Kasadya Bacolod Development Foundation Inc. (KBDFI) to submit its audited financial statements until January in relation to the Masskara Festival celebrations from 2013 to 2015.
“We will deal with this issue after Christmas since we are concentrating on the passage of the 2017 budget,” said Distrito, chairperson of committee on laws, ordinances, and good government.
He added that if the KBDFI fails to submit the report next month, the City Council will endorsed the case to the City Legal Office for the possible filing of charges against KBDFI president Rhoderick Samonte.
Distrito said they could file malversation of public funds or estafa against the KBDFI, depending on the factors.
Samonte had earlier said they have no responsibility to submit audited financial statements to the city government.
In November, the City Council approved a resolution requesting the Silver MassKara Festival Organization Inc. (SMFOI) and the KBDFI to submit audited financial statements in relation to the festival celebrations.
The resolution was originally proposed by Councilor Claudio Jesus Puentevella requesting only SMFOI festival director Eli Francis Tajanlangit to furnish the City Council a copy of an audited financial statement related to the 2016 Masskara Festival celebration.
Distrito and Councilor Em Ang moved a subsidiary motion to include the KBDFI in the submission of financial reports.
Samonte said he has not received a copy of the resolution, or any communication for that matter.
“There is nothing I should do because I have not received anything official,” he said.
He added that they have submitted all their reports to former mayor Monico Puentevella from 2013 to 2015.
Distrito said Samonte has the responsibility to submit the financial reports because during the celebration, they collected money for the festival site at Paglaum Sports Complex, and for the rent of kiosks on streets, which are owned by the city.
He added that the KBDFI existed by virtue of a memorandum or circular that gave them the chance to work as organizer of the Masskara, which is again covered by the city ordnance as an activity of Bacolod.
“Therefore, it has the nature of public activity and they were given an authority to administer the Masskara, but they collected money without authority from the City Council,” Distrito added.