CCCI wants fundraisers monitored for violations

While supporting a proposed ordinance mandating fundraisers to publish financial statements of contributions from the public, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently asked the city council to set up a system that monitors enforcement and pin down violators.

CCCI vice president for external affairs and relation division Teodoro Locson wrote to the council saying that the proposed measure is necessary because the public has the right to know what happened to their contribution or donation to a particular fundraising project.

Councilor Hilario Davide III, the author of the proposed measure, said that this answers the complaints that funds raised by some people or organizations were misappropriated or that nothing is heard anymore of the fundraising until the next activity.

Davide said that there are a lot of fund-raising activities in the city, and that some donors were merely compelled to contribute due to influence or pressure.

To erase doubts on the use of contributions, Davide proposed that fundraisers should prepare a financial statement detailing the names of donors, the amount donated, and the expenses incurred in the intended activity, within 60 days from the conclusion of the activity.

This statement should then be published in a local paper within 30 days from that period, the Davide proposal said.

The president or head, and treasurer of the fundraising group that failed to comply with these requirements shall be meted with a fine ranging from P500 to P2,000 or imprisonment within 30 days to three months, or both at the discretion of the court.

But what the proposed measure lacks is the method of monitoring violations and violators, the CCCI said. - Garry B. Lao