Four officials face rap in payroll scam
MANGALDAN—Four officials of the municipal government here are now facing administrative investigation for dishonesty in connection with the discovery of the Commission on Audit of unliquidated balance amounting to more than P7 million in the town coffer last year and up to early this year.
Mayor Herminio Romero said the town already filed the complaint against the four before the Civil Service Commission (CSC) soon after the COA submitted a report on the payroll scam that rocked the municipal government for months.
The four are Susana Bauzon, municipal treasurer; Marlyn Gonzales, assistant municipal treasurer; Evelyn Bernabe, municipal accountant; and Helen Aquino, chief administrative officer of the Human Resources Management Office.
A report, however, said that the four went on leave for 20 days even before the COA released its findings.
Per the COA report, only more than P7 million was involved and not P29 million as previously reported, noting that the P29 million is the full one-year budget of casual and job contract employees in the municipal government.
Romero also clarified that based on the COA report there were only some P7 million balance that was not liquidated. Of the amount, some P2 million were lost as a result of alterations of checks that were issued to cover the salaries of casuals and job order employees which, he added, is tantamount to malversation of funds.
A report, however, said that one of the suspected officials, Gonzales, returned P2million of the missing amount to the municipal coffer. However, this act did not extinguish the illegal acts previously committed.
Romero said a separate criminal complaint is now being prepared by his office with the help of the municipal legal officer against the four officials before the Ombudsman.
The mayor thanked all those who brought out the irregularity to light so that the ones responsible could be duly made accountable.
Underscoring that public service is a public trust, Romero reiterated that he will not tolerate any dishonest act in the municipal government under his watch.
He earlier vowed no whitewash and no cover up for all the officials and employees involved in the scam.
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