Barangays submit fiscal statements

CEBU, Philippines - With the recommendation of the Commission on Audit (COA) to freeze the monthly honoraria of barangay officials in Cebu City, at least 40 barangays are catching up to comply the requirements by submitting their respective financial statements.

City accounting and finance control division chief Agnes Tabares yesterday said that some barangays have already complied by attaching the necessary documents in their respective financial reports since 2007.

COA has asked Mayor Michael Rama and City Accountant Arlene Retuza to withhold the salaries of the barangay officials, particularly the barangay captains and treasurers, because they failed to submit the 2007, 2008, and 2009 financial reports.

Tabares said that they have to encode the financial reports of the barangays and consolidate these before submitting it to COA.

The COA will then determine “the propriety, validity, authenticity and legality” of the barangays’ transactions.

Tabares explained that with their limited manpower, they have a hard time in consolidating all documents because they are not only working in the reports from the various barangays. They are also working at the same time on reports regarding the City’s transactions.

“If we will concentrate on this, then ma-suffer man pud ang ubang transactions,” Tabares said.

Mayor Rama, in a separate interview, said he already advised the barangays to see the COA, accounting office and the Association of Barangay Councils to settle the matter.

State Auditor Eva Cabrera reminded the barangays, especially the treasurers, that all copies of documents pertaining to their financial transactions should be submitted immediately to the city accountant so that these will be recorded in the General Journal through General Entry Voucher. (FREEMAN)