Rama’s staff still getting salary despite infraction

CEBU, Philippines - Contrary to the claim of Cebu City Treasurer Diwa Cuevas, a City Hall employee who incurred P4.7 million in unliquidated cash advances is still receiving his salary.

City Accounting Office records showed that Carlos “Charlie” Reyes III, an administrative assistant at the Office of the Mayor, has been receiving his salary since June last year.

Cuevas earlier said they withheld Reyes’ salary since January 2013 because of his failure to settle his cash advances, which he made in 2012 for prizes and trophies given to winners of basketball tournaments and other various sports activities in different barangays.

Of the P4.7 million, Reyes is still to liquidate over P1 million.

“Supposedly dili gyod na i-release iyang salary but he made a promise to liquidate the balance and he was able to secure an approval from the city administrator for the release of his monthly salary,” Cuevas said.

The Commission on Audit requires the withholding of the monthly salary once a government official fails to liquidate his cash advances within 30 days from the time it was availed of.

In a separate interview, City Accountant Mark Rosell Salomon did not deny yesterday the disbursement of Reyes’ salary, allegedly because of a “compromise” they agreed upon just to assist Reyes in liquidating in full the P4.7million.

“It is a compromise because if we opted to conti-nue withholding his salary he might decide to resign, which would be disadvantageous to the city kay dili ma-liquidate ang amount. At least man lang we can help him in the liquidation process kay luoy pud baya siya,” Salomon said.

He said that unless COA orders against it, they would continue giving Reyes his salary.

Reyes signed a promissory note at the Office of the Mayor and City Administrator Lucelle Mercado approved his request to continue receiving his salary while collating the documents for the liquidation.

Salomon said Mercado gave Reyes until June this year to liquidate the remaining P1 million; otherwise, Reyes’ salary will again be withheld.

“Nagsige man siya og partial liquidation mao nga gi-allow ang pag-release iyang sweldo. But, if dili siya ka-liquidate within the given period, we have to withhold his salary again,” he said.

Concerned citizens recently filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman on Reyes’ unliquidated cash advances.

The concerned citizens questioned why Reyes’ failure to liquidate his cash advance was not forwarded to the anti-graft office when another city government employee, a certain Julieta Marquita, was already suspended for the same offense.

The concerned citizens asked the Ombudsman to immediately act on their letter, which was filed on March 13, 2015. — (FREEMAN)