Barotac Viejo financially healthy, says town exec
TUPAS
Barotac Viejo Mayor Raul Tupas dubbed as exaggeration the report which came out in The News Today (July 24-25, 2006 edition) relative to the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA) on the town's financial situation.
Tupas who just came back from official travel abroad personally called The News Today last week to correct the "erroneous" news item.
He said the town of Barotac Viejo is "financially healthy" and that he was the one who requested for COA audit way back February 2004 to show that "we adhere to effective fiscal management and transparency in government."
He further sent a communication answering point by point the issues raised in the The News Today report.
On the COA findings that the inventory on plant, property and equipment was "doubtful", Tupas said that he issued Executive Order No. 2006-27 last July 11 forming a new inventory committee to conduct actual physical inventory of LGU property.
With regard to the prior year's "unliquidated" cash advances amounting to P3,799,302.98, Tupas clarified that said amount were mostly salaries and wages of employees that were actually received. Tupas said the delay resulted from the late submission to the Accounting Office of the payrolls by the former Disbursing Officer-Designate. Said Disbursing Officer was already replaced to remedy the situation.
On the reported "undeposited collections" amounting to P21,746,769.24, Tupas said he has requested COA for a special audit last February 2004 as there were conflicting reports from the town's Treasurer and Accountant.
Tupas said COA has yet to release the result of its special audit but he has already ordered the relief of the Treasurer in the person of Ramon Lopez.
Off hand, Tupas said that as reported by the municipal accountant there could have been clerical errors as to the entries in the treasurer's report to cause the alleged P21M "undeposited" collection.
On the hiring of consultancy services, Tupas said that "we adhere to and respect the advice of COA Regional Office 6 to discontinue hiring the services of a consultant."
Meanwhile the numerous long distance calls incurred by the LGU was attributed to Tupas's multiple functions as president of League of Municipalities (LMP)-Iloilo Chapter and chairman of the Banate Bay Resource Management Council. Besides other offices such as the PNP, BJMP, BFP and DepEd also use the town's telephone unit for their various transactions. However, upon receipt of Audit Observation Memo No. 2005-01 dated January 7, 2006, the Office of the Mayor has maintained a record book on long distance calls.
Tupas also defended the holding of the Clean and Green search among the town's barangays saying such activity effectively informs, educates and enjoins the community to do their share in environmental protection and conservation.
In sum, Tupas would like to "state for the record that: 1) The salaries and wages of the employees are given on time; 2) All benefits accruing to employees are given on time, within the capacity of the LGU; 3) Remittances to LBP, GSIS, Pag-ibig, PhilHealth, etc. are given on time; 4) Commitments to the provincial government particularly particularly the Special Education Fund and RPTAX are on time; 5) All projects are being implemented; 6) The LGU has no outstanding loan from any bank or financing institution, government or private.