Gov't bank wrongly deposits P1.7M to Leon Liga account
Someone within the Liga ng mga Barangay in Leon, Iloilo is at least P1.7 million richer, no thanks to a government bank foul-up.
And if the bank and its team of auditors are to be believed, bad faith was evident from the end of the Leon Liga comprised of 85 village chiefs here.
The multi-million bank slip-up was apparently discovered following an audit in May. The government bank concerned is located at Jaro District where a total of P1,722,177.00 was "inadvertently credited" to the Liga's account in March last year.
The bank manager in a demand letter to Leon Liga President Profetiso Cambronero took note of the supposed "substantial withdrawals" beginning in July 30, 2007. Such the bank manager said, "was indicative of evident bad faith because you are well aware that it was impossible for your Liga Barangay Account to have accumulated a huge amount of P1,722,177.00 in the ordinary course of your activities as Liga Ng Mga Barangay."
"Demand is therefore made upon you to restitute the amount of P1,722,177.00 plus allowance for interests at 12% p.a. within five (5) days from receipt of this letter, otherwise we shall be constrained to take criminal, administrative and civil action to protect the interest of the bank in the event that you fail to give due course to this demand," excerpts of the letter went, a copy of which was obtained by The News Today (TNT).
Copies of the demand letter were furnished to the Office of Mayor Romulo Cabana Sr, Vice Mayor Rolito Cajilig and Liga officers Edna Calico and Bernardita Camagan.
Cambronero in a response "vehemently denied" the bank's charges starting off with a position that he cannot restitute the amount demanded "because I have not actually received the amount…"
Cambronero then turned the tables against the bank questioning the authenticity of the bank's audit "...making me believe that they are not true and reliable as I have no copy of the audit findings…"
As such, he professed innocence saying "I have not officially received any bank statement or confirmation of the account balances from your good office hence, I have no personal knowledge of the exact and correct account balances of the LIGA."
And if the bank called it "inadvertent credit," for Cambronero what it was were "strange deposits and withdrawals" not made by the Liga.
"Evidences shall be presented if required by the competent court," the letter continued.
Further still, Cambronero made mention of efforts by the Liga Treasurer and former Liga President Edwin Capilastique to inform the government bank "but of no avail."
"With the recurring deposits and withdrawals of unknown person using the Liga account cannot be termed as "INADVERTENT CREDIT" but willful and intentional deception," Cambronero ended. "The undersigned is made an instrument to cover-up the anomalies within…"
Sources told TNT that 70 of the 85 barangay captains are bent on clearing the name of the Liga by eventually disclosing the incidents surrounding the issue. The group is reportedly crying foul that everybody is being dragged when "only a few" have purportedly benefited from it.