COA, mayor crack down on workers P6.4M unauthorized cash advances
PAYBACK TIME IN BINMALEY
BINMALEY—Settle your unauthorized cash advances!
This was the order issued by Binmaley Mayor Lorenzo Cerezo to all former and current officials and employees of the municipal government in a memorandum telling them to explain under oath why they should not be charged criminally and administratively for obtaining more cash advance than what is authorized by law.
The memorandum set a deadline for the explanation last October 14 and called for the return of all unauthorized cash advances obtained from the municipal treasury during the previous administration of Mayor Simplicio Rosario.
Cerezo said he is not harassing former and current municipal employees, but merely reiterating earlier demand letters sent by the Commission on Audit (COA) to the people concerned.
A list provided by the municipal government showed there were some 70 former and current officials and employees who obtained cash advances totalling P6.4 million under Rosario’s administration.
NAMES
Cerezo said COA sent the demand letters to those whose names were found in the audit of books of the municipal government for 2010 as having obtained unauthorized cash advances.
One of these cash advances was extended to Jaime Fernandez, former municipal budget officer, who, based on records, obtained P1,052,292.89 from the treasury.
Cerezo said this is in violation of the COA regulations, which provide that an official or employee can be extended cash advance at an amount not more than his monthly salary from the government.
Based on the COA report the other big cash advances were extended to Leo Fernandez, P595,007; Bernardita Bravo, P543,062; Rubyrose Bautista, P507,152; Eusebio Ramos, P462,209; Rodrigo Bautista, P423, 591; Amalia Rosario, P235,000; and Anita Urbano, P212,400.
“Dapat lang na ibalik nila ang kanilang cash advance kasi pera ito ng taong bayan,” Cerezo said.
Cerezo said he believes these cash advances did not actually go to these people but they could have been used to siphon money out of the local government’s fund for some powerful politicians in the town.
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