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With unliquidated cash advances in Mandaue City Hall past the P6 million mark, the City Council is urging Mayor Jonas Cortes to prod officials and employees to liquidate their expenses.
A council resolution passed on Tuesday said it was “proper and sound fiscal policy to strictly require” city personnel to follow Commission on Audit (COA) rules.
At the same time, “there should be no cash advances granted to officials and employees with unliquidated cash advances.”
Councilor Emiliano Rosal said he was dismayed to learn about the unliquidated amounts.
Since the start of Cortes’ administration in July 2007 until June 30 this year, P6.5 million in unliquidated cash advances at City Hall have piled up, he said.
Rosal drew up a list of signatories from City Hall who had taken out cash advances.
The list includes:
• Former city schools superintendent Serena Uy in the amount of P785,230 for use during the city’s Charter Day celebrations in 2007. Uy is now the provincial schools superintendent of Cebu Province.
• Mayor Cortes’ chief of staff Louella Cabanero for “program evaluation and assessment” worth P50,000, taken out in 2007; “year-end evaluation conference” worth P500,000 also 2007; and, “various sports activities” worth P778,900 this year.
• City Administrator Briccio Joseph Boholst for P450,000 intended for the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo festival this year. Boholst could not be reached for comment yesterday.
• Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) city director Loisella Lucino, who took a cash advance of P374,430 for the Lakbay Aral Solid Waste Management program this year.
• Djalma Regudo, an employee in the mayor’s office, who signed for cash advances of P200,000 for relief operations for fire victims, P68,750 for operation Kalag-Kalag, and P142,140 for financial assistance, all in 2007.
• The mayor’s executive secretary Ernie Manatad secured an P80,000 cash advance for “intelligence funds.”
This year, cash advances were issued to :
• Doloresa Santos, P100,000 for intelligence funds,
• Bernardita Tarima, P25,000 for a cooperative seminar.
• Rosemarie Tirado, P30,000 for the city’s Nutrition Month Celebration.
• Jeffrey Janea, P30,000 to prepare contingencies for a jeepney strike).
• Former market administrator Antonino Tomongha, P100,000 for the Nutrition Action Team.
There were also P1.44 million in cash advances to various city officials and employees before 2007, during the administration of former mayor Thadeo Ouano.
Rosal, however, did not give names for that period.
Rosal said the problem of unliquidated cash advances prompted him to draft a resolution asking City Accountant’s Office, through Mayor Cortes, to review the records and reconcile correct balances as of June 30, which he believed was understated by about P591,000.
The resolution was approved by the City Council during their session last Tuesday.
