Nation

Binay camp questions Makati's P2M unliquidated cash advances

August 27, 2015 | 2:03am

MANILA, Philippines - The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Thursday asked Makati Acting Mayor Romulo Peña Jr. to order the present officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Makati Action Center (MAC) to settle over P2 million unliquidated cash advances he allegedly made in 2004 and 2005.

According to Joey Salgado, media affairs chief of the Office of the Vice President, said based on the records of the city’s Accounting Department, as of August 26, 2015, MAC OIC Arthur Cruto has failed to submit liquidation documents for two cash advances he made over ten years ago – one amounting to P1,820,000 in August 2004 for the Araw ng Makati 2004 celebration, and the other for a seminar in the amount of P300,600 in April 2005.

“At the very least, Peña should demand Cruto’s immediate compliance with government policies on cash advances and submit all the necessary documents to liquidate the outstanding amount of P2,104,102.90, and promptly return any unspent balance,” Salgado said in a statement.

Salgado added that records further showed that of the total cash advances of P2,120,600, Cruto was able to liquidate only P16,497.10, specifically on his second cash advance for a seminar in 2005. Other supporting documents on file include copies of voucher no. 3368 and check no. 146833 in the amount of P1,820,000 for Araw ng Makati activities in 2004, and voucher no. 2651 and check no. 015103 in the amount of P300,600 in 2005.

“We would like to remind the acting mayor that he had personally vouched for the ‘untarnished’ employment records of his appointees. It would do him well to take a closer look at the records of his other appointees to ensure that they do not have outstanding obligations like Cruto,” Salgado said.

Earlier, Peña had justified his designation of new officials replacing heads of departments under the administration of now suspended Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Jun Jun” Binay, saying it would be "beneficial" to the city government because they had both the qualifications and integrity to promote good governance in the city.

Upon assuming office as acting mayor Peña appointed Cruto to head the MAC which has been tasked to conduct a survey of the senior citizens throughout the city.

Cruto recently testified before the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee about non-existent or "ghost senior citizens" allegedly comprising almost half of the total BLU card beneficiaries, based on initial surveys done by MAC personnel in two barangays.

However, former head of Makati Social Welfare Department Ryan Barcelo questioned the methods used by MAC in conducting the survey, citing a number of flaws in the so-called audit procedure.

During the Senate hearing, Barcelo said it was not clearly established if proper validation of data was done by the survey teams of MAC, such as collateral interviews with relatives and neighbors to verify if persons listed as BLU card members existed.

Cruto, according to Barcelo, did not even provide documentary evidence to back the allegation that 45 percent of senior citizens who are still receiving benefits from the Makati City government “ghosts” or non-existent.