Past PTA officers in trouble for 'missing funds'
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Sr. reportedly will send a team from National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Manila to investigate the alleged missing funds of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of the Iloilo National High School (INHS) amounting to hundreds of thousands of pesos.
The alleged missing funds was discovered only recently by newly elected PTA president Larry Deatras, a councilor of Sta. Barbara, Iloilo.
Deatras uncovered that the money reflected in the passbooks of two depository banks turned over to him by former treasurer Lazaro Borongan do not reflect the actual PTA collections made during the school opening this year.
Deatras was able to trace recorded collections for SY 2006-2007 as of September 14, 2006 amounting to P511,815.10. The bank balances, however, at Bank of the Philippine Islands and Banco De Oro Jaro branches showed P1,976.01 and P1,359.33, respectively.
Deatras further discovered that several disbursements were made without pertinent board resolutions as shown by PTA records, which is a violation of the INHS-PTA Constitution.
Records also revealed, according to Deatras, a lot of questionable expenses such as traveling and gasoline expenses, media coverages and extravagant meals.
Deatras took over as president replacing Jose Roberto "Bert" Montilla after winning in an election held during the general assembly in August 26.
Deatras said he had discovered that based on the bank statement, series of withdrawals were still made by the past Board even after the new set of officers were already elected.
While the new board is considering a new audit, they are looking into the possibility that a lot of collections were not deposited. Nemia Aguro of the Cash Division, INHS said she had at one time given a big collection of more than a hundred thousand to Geolin Padernal for deposit. The bank statement does not reflect that amount as a deposit made last June.
Deatras said the irregularities were already brought to the attention of Secretary Gonzalez who vowed to have the matter investigated.
In another regular meeting, a new board resolution was passed requiring the past PTA Board through its past president and now member of the present Board, Montilla, to immediately submit proper accounting of all assets, monies, properties, documents (including RERs, schedule of daily collections, official receipts, canceled checks, notebook where the list of RERs are recorded), and bank reconciliation to the new set of officers.
Further the resolution is asking the external auditor, Elena Medes, under the Galanto Auditing office, to submit the PTA documents on file duly signed by the required signatories namely Montilla, Borongan, Robles and whoever was the adviser when the said audit was done and documents executed.
Copies of the said resolution were furnished the office of the Division of Schools’s superintendent, DEp-ED Regional Director, Office of the DEP-ED Secretary, Office of the DOJ Secretary, and the Office of the Governor, Province of Iloilo.
Interestingly, Borongan was INHS-PTA treasurer for seven consecutive years which is contrary to the provisions of Dep-Ed Order 23 and the INHS-PTA Constitution prohibiting the election of any officer for more than two consecutive terms.
INHS, now headed by OIC Principal Mr. Mario Celo, was previously headed by Mrs. Riza Amaguin.
Meanwhile, both Montilla and Borongan denied all the allegations of Deatras in an interview with Novi Guazo's "Ground Zero" program over RMN Iloilo.
The duo defended that they have all the necessary supporting papers as regards the disbursement of PTA funds.
They also challenged Deatras and his group to file cases against them so the truth will come out.