Ombudsman summons airport brass

CEBU, Philippines - The officials of Mactan Cebu International Airport were summoned to appear before the Ombudsman Visayas this morning to officially start its inquiry into the exorbitant severance pay granted to former tourism regional director Patria Aurora Roa.

Assistant Ombudsman Virginia Palanca Santiago has ordered MCIA general manager Danilo Augusto Francia, Evelyn Ramirez, corporate secretary of the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) board, legal officers Allan Talisaysay and Glen Napuli to appear before her.

The members of the four-man investigating team created by Francia to look into the supposed “leak” of the severance pay documents of Roa to the media were also called to attend this morning.

Airport police chief Bonifacio Pusta, who heads the team created by Francia, is expected to appear including MCIA public affairs manager Ahmed Cuizon.

Cuizon is reportedly among those subjected for investigation by Pusta’s team because he was believed to have leaked the documents to the media.

Santiago directed Ramirez to bring all the documents related to the release of the P500,000 severance pay to Roa. The legal officers were required to attend this morning’s inquiry because they were the ones given instructions by Santiago to relay to Francia her verbal order not to release the check to Roa pending the result of the anti-graft body’s fact-finding investigation.

Despite Santiago’s instruction, the check was personally delivered by Ramirez to Roa.

Roa used to be a member of the 11-man MCIAA board in her capacity as regional director of the Department of Tourism. She has retired few months ago.

 “Tan-awon nato og unsay ilang justification sa paghatag og P500,000 nga severance pay. Daghan usab ko og ipangutana nila atul sa inquiry,” Santiago told The FREEMAN.Senior state auditor Anecita Pilapil, who is assigned to supervise the audit of all government transactions including that of the MCIAA, said that severance pay granted to MCIAA board is not allowed under the state audit procedures.

Francia however insisted that their charter allows it.

According to him, the MCIAA charter authorizes them to provide decent retirement benefits to their officials and employees, including the members of the board.

Pilapil said the Commission on Audit (COA) has already resolved a similar issue when it disallowed the severance pay that MCIAA granted to former DOTC Undersecretary Carina Valera in 2003.

Gordon Allan “Dondi” Joseph, a private sector representative to the MCIAA board, said they are questioning the position of the state auditors. — /FPL (THE FREEMAN)