3 dads mum; Canto clears name
FIESTA FUND MESS
WHAT financial assistance?
This was asked by Councilor Jesus Canto, executive chairman of the 2010 City Fiesta, who finally broke his silence to clarify his involvement in the fiesta fund mess.
He said he was not aware of a “financial assistance” being given regularly by the city hall throughout the administration of then Mayor Benjamin Lim to officials appointed to head Dagupan’s annual celebrations such as the December fiesta and Bangus Festival.
He said he is only “learning about this financial assistance” today.
Councilors Red Erfe-Mejia, Guillermo Vallejos and Alvin Coquia continue to be silent about their roles in spite of the revelation of City Accountant Teresita Manaois that they received their respective seed money but never submitted a liquidation report since.
“I am envious with my colleagues who received such financial assistance when they presided over as chairs of fiestas and festivals,” said Canto, referring to the three as ‘privileged officials’.
The PUNCH earlier reported that it was Erfe Mejia, who received the financial assistance amounting to P2 million for the 2010 City Fiesta, in his capacity as deputy chairman.
“Being in the majority (in the Sangguniang Panlungsod) before, they (the previous administration) might not have trusted me to receive financial assistance for the fiesta,” Canto said.
Canto said he accepted the challenge to become the hermano mayor of the 2010 Dagupan City although he was allied with then Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, now mayor of Dagupan City, “just to prove that I can run such an event.”
In fact, he said, he had to spend his own money to run the event, not knowing that there was such a fund for the city fiesta.
Canto later switched sides and joined a new majority in the SP headed by Brian Lim and included Erfe-Mejia, Vallejos and Coquia.
NO LIQUIDATION
Manaois said a total of P15.5 million have yet to be liquidated by past chairmen.
“Only then Councilor Brian Lima, (now vice mayor) has made a partial liquidation,” she clarified.
Aside from Erfe-Mejia, other chairmen of previous celebrations under the Lim administration, who have not liquidated are then Liga ng mga Barangay chairman Guillermo Vallejos (now councilor) and re-elected Councilor Alvin Coquia.
All three councilors have not indicated when they can be expected to submit their liquidation, if at all.
Lim, son of the former mayor, has only accounted for P2.5 million of the P4 million released to him for the 2012 Bangus Festival.
Erfe-Mejia, aside from his unliquidated P2 million for the 2010 fiesta, also has yet to account for a P3 million fund released to him for the for the 2012 City Fiesta.
Vallejos has yet to liquidate the P3 million fund extended to his fiesta executive committee in 2011.
Coquia, chairman of the 2013 Bangus Festival, who received P6 million fund has not liquidated in spite of his campaign pledge to do so. He said he is waiting for his deputy, Marianne Ang, to submit her own liquidation who received a portion of the fund.
Ang ran for a seat in the council under Lim’s team and lost.
Mayor Belen Fernandez said that these unaccounted funds will have to be reported by the city auditor if these are not liquidated in time.
“Monies of the people of Dagupan must be accounted for by all city officials because graft will not be tolerated under my watch,” the mayor said.
City hall observers believe City Auditor Ofelia Celi never reported these accountabilities in the past. She has been replaced by Auditor Virgillio Quinto.
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