No fund aid to NGOs under my watch — BTF
P105-M UNLIQUIDATED FUND
“NOT in my administration.”
This was stressed by Mayor Belen Fernandez following a report in a national daily on the P105 million worth of unliquidated funds released by the city government under the previous leadership to non-government organizations (NGO).
Fernandez clarified that all the reported transactions took place during the administration of former Mayor Benjamin Lim whom she succeeded after beating him in the May 2013 elections.
“This did not happen under my administration,” explained Fernandez who assumed office July 1, 2013, adding that neither did it take place during her stint as acting mayor starting May 16 to June 30, 2013 after Lim suffered a stroke.
This was corroborated by City Auditor Virgilio Quinto, who submitted the report detailing the unliquidated funds submitted to the Commission on Audit (COA) regional office and to the central office.
The audit report was posted in the COA website.
Quinto said the COA regional office is now reviewing the documents relating to the unliquidated P105 million funds.
Explaining his audit of the books of the city government, Quinto pointed out that at the end of 2013, the Fernandez administration was able to cover all its outstanding dues and posted a P3 million surplus.
“Napakaganda ang review ng COA sa atin. But, yung nangyari po na more than P105 million na dinispense noon for the NGOs, this happened during the past administration,” Fernandez said.
VOUCHERS
Budget Officer Luz de Guzman also attested that no vouchers for financial assistance to NGOs were released since Fernandez assumed office.
“As budget officer, I see to it that no financial assistance is released to NGOs” said De Guzman.
De Guzman said, under the Lim administration, new funds were released to NGOs even if previous ones have yet to be liquidated.
Fernandez said she stepped the giving of financial and to NGOs because the COA said this is illegal.
“The rule in accounting states that if the fund for the first voucher has not been liquidated, no succeeding vouchers for financial assistance should be released… but this was violated which was why nagkapatong-patong yong financial assistance to NGOs that were not liquidated,” De Guzman said.
Meanwhile, the mayor noted how the NGOs in the city are in fact the ones now spending funds to help in projects.
“Baliktad po ngayon ang nangyari. It is the NGOs that are spending for the city,”
Fernandez said, citing the Innerwheel Club of Dagupan, and the Pangasinan Medical Society, among others.
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