COA advises town execs to 'stop illegal practice'
Government auditors uncovered yet more trouble in the finances of the Municipality of Tigbauan. With some P2 million in irregular cash releases and missing municipal funds, the Commission on Audit (COA) in its Annual Audit Report (AAR) for the town's 2005 operation validated more serious irregularities and illegal practices.
Repeatedly, the COA stated government funds here were exposed to "wastage, misuse and abuse" as it narrowed down its findings to some 20 concerns.
The Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas has now officially sought said records with Deputy Ombudsman Virginia Palanca-Santiago making representation for and in behalf of the anti-graft body.
From the 'measly' P18,798.50 expense of Mayor Myrna Torres or her office at least, considered by the Commission to be one "irregular and unnecessary reimbursement of office supplies, to one woman town executive's liability of over P520,000, COA fears the worst for Tigbauan and its coffers that faces depletion.
As such, attention of the town's accountant was called "to guard vigilantly the expenditures of the agency" while it is recommended to Mayor Torres to "stop the practice of irregular and/or unnecessary reimbursement of supplies/expense and follow the prescribed procedures in procurement."
This, as the Commission noted how Tigbauan could have increased its capital investments "had the 20% development fund been appropriated and optimally utilized for tangible projects." What happened, COA discovered, was that said fund was used in the operating activities of the town "thus depleting the funds intended to provide the most benefits for the local populace."
More questions too on other expenses that remained unliquidated and considered by COA illegally drawn from the town's coffers such as bloodletting activities, phone bills, travel expenses and the over P42,000 paid by the Mayor's office for the related expenses during last year's town fiesta.
"Stop the practice of expending government funds for religious and/or private purpose," the COA wrote. "Stop the practice of transferring cash advances from one accountable officer to another. Stop the practice of paying expenditures without complete documentation."
All these alongside the discovery of some 19 public schools erected on private lands making the town "government squatters" with the schoolchildren's education put into peril.
The Commission called on the Mayor's attention to secure corresponding documents to correct the matter.