Kap. Mejia disowns “O.R.” irregularities
BARANGAY Chairman Rico N. Mejia of Bonuan Gueset disowned the irregularities in the barangay transactions as bared in the Audit Observation Memorandum No. 2015 (Gueset 2014) of the Commission on Audit (COA) which was reported in The PUNCH.
He blamed an incumbent and a former official of the barangay as well as past officials whom he did not name for the uncovered irregularities.
In a letter dated 19 August 2015 to COA’s Benedicto V. Picar, State Auditor IV; and Pedro F. Sison Jr., State Auditor V, Mejia named Barangay Revenue Collection Officer Jane N. Escarlan as the one responsible for the discrepancy uncovered by COA.
At the same time, he said he is looking into the possibility that the “undeclared official receipts may have been issued by former Barangay Secretary Rosemary Que whose services were terminated by the barangay last December 31, 2014.
Que’s termination, he said in his letter, arose from the fact that Que collected different barangay exactions which Mejia said, “she has not accounted for and remitted to the Sanggunian.”
A copy of Mejia’s letter was given to The PUNCH by Alfonso Legaspi, barangay treasurer of Bonuan Gueset, in an answer to an item published in this paper about the AOM of COA sent to Mejia,
Mejia said that even before the barangay received the AOM, the barangay officials formed an investigation committee looking into the discrepancy in O.R . No. 1223707. It was established that OR 1223707 was issued by Escarlan and the O.R. was sourced from the receipt booklet in her full custody.
Initial investigation revealed that Escarlan wrote the original amount paid in the duplicate receipt which is truthfully reported in the finances of the barangay, but that there were times when she wrote a higher amount in the original receipt although she did not actually receive the full amount indicated.
Mejia said, Escarlan admitted doing it “to accommodate some persons who pay the barangay fees on behalf of the person to whom the receipts were named and issued purportedly to each particular agent/ payor’s benefit who acted on behalf of another.”
As to the other “undeclared official receipts”, Mejia said he is still ascertaining whether these were issued “by some former employees of the barangay who had since been severed from employment for dubious transactions”.
The barangay captain said the barangay is set to terminate the services of Escarlan as Barangay Revenue Collection Officer, and filing of appropriate charges against her and Que for their malfeasance. (Leonardo Micua)
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