Rama’s advances of P557T cleared

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Accounting Office cleared Mayor Michael Rama of any obligation on the P557,150 in cash advances granted to him in December of last year.

City accountant Diwa Cuevas said Rama’s name has already been deleted from those with outstanding unliquidated cash advances.

Although the amount was recorded as Rama’s cash advance, it was Alvin Santillana, operations officer of the Local Disaster Risk-Reduction Management Office (LDRRMO), who spent the money to help typhoon victims in Mindanao.

Rama tasked Santillana to form a group of volunteers to help the people in Compostela Valley, which was ravaged by a storm last year.

Santillana said he already submitted receipts of the cash advance.

“Human na, naka submit na ko sa tanang resibo. Na-release na tawon pagbalik ang akong sweldo,” said Santillana, whose salaries had been withheld for two months pending the submission of the liquidation receipts.

It was the city which shouldered the expenses of Santillana and his group, including its food, medicines for the typhoon victims and the cost of equipment that they used during the trip.

Since Santillana is not allowed to make cash advances, it was Rama who made the cash advance and gave the money to Santillana.

While Rama and Santillana had settled the unliquidated cash advances, the mayor’s administrative assistant, Carlos “Charlie” Reyes, still failed to liquidate close to P4 million in cash advances granted to him last year.

Cuevas said the accounting department has withheld Reyes’ salaries since January because of his failure to liquidate the P3,993,200 granted to him on July 3 and August 7, 2012.

Reyes earlier said the cash advances were for the prizes and trophies for the winners of basketball tournaments in the barangays.

But he still failed to gather all supporting documents of the expenses.

Cuevas said she already sent a letter to the Commission on Audit (COA) informing the state auditors that Reyes’ salaries had been withheld pending his liquidation of the entire amount.

According to Cuevas, it is up to the COA to decide whether to initiate some legal action against Reyes because the amount involved was so big.

Rama said Reyes should liquidate the amount.

The unliquidated cash advances granted to City Hall officials and employees were among the issues discussed in the Annual Audit Report (AAR), which is will be released soon.

The law provides that failure of government officials and employees to liquidate cash advances can be a ground for the filing of criminal case for malversation of public funds against them. — /LPM (FREEMAN)