Just last October 29, 2009, the Commission on Audit filed a two-page notice of disallowance against some of the officials and members of the local government of the city of Manila. The notice was filed following the noted deficiencies on the claims for the payment of consultancy fees of purportedly 21 consultants who were contracted to work for the office of the Mayor. The said vouchers did not complement the audit prepared by Domingo C. Bocalan Jr., State Auditor IV and that the vouchers were void because the 21 consultants listed in the payroll were inexistent. The illegal transaction was said to have cost the city the amount of P5,058,000.00.
The said notice of disallowance was released after Mayor Alfredo Lim stated in his affidavit, the he never authorized nor appointed Nelson Del Mundo and the rest of the supposed 21 consultants to work in his office. As a follow up, Lim also noted that he did not sign any contract for the said services nor did he allowed the fictitious consultants to receive any consultation fees or compensations. The Mayor's statement was backed up by three officers assigned at the city Mayor's office. The three office staff who supported the mayor's statement were Rowena Senatin, Helen Natividad and Arturo Mijares.
According to the officials, the names of the consultants that appeared in the payrolls that was submitted to them by some of the members of the accounting and property division of the city of Manila were not included in the list of consultants that were employed by the mayor. The three also confirmed that the consultants were fictitious. This government anomaly is a clear manifestation of the ongoing corrupt practices in the local government of Manila. Nonetheless, like any other forms of illegal activities, the transaction was done in order to benefit the people involved.
The anomalous transaction was carried out and consented by 11 officials from the accounting and property division of the local government of Manila. The named officials were Pacifico Lagramada, Yolanda Ignacio, Marleen Young, Gloria Quilantang, Vicky Valientes, Erlinda Marteja, Philip Cabalun II, Cherry Chan, Alicia Moscaya, Fritz Noel Borres, and Rodelio Leyson. The said officials consented the release of P5,058,000.00 as a payment to the non-existent consultants for their supposed services to the mayor's office. Mayor Alfredo Lim and the affidavit of his staffs attested the involvement of the said personnel.
Bocolan recommended in the notice of disallowance that the identified perpetrators from the accounting and property division of the city of Manila to refund the full amount of P5,058,000.00. The given amount was the supposed payment for the 21 consultants, who purportedly worked for the office of the mayor. The notice given by the Commission of Audit was final, giving the involved officials six months to settle the issue. Accordingly, if the said individuals were not able to comply, the commission would take the necessary steps in order to enforce the notice.
Although Mayor Alfredo Lim, in his affidavit, served as the way to expose this particular corrupt activity, it appears that something in this picture does not coordinate. Considering that all the local projects of Manila are needed to be approved by the mayor, what remains questionable in this instance is the fact that the release of payments was still done in spite of Lim claiming that he did not gave his authority for the said project. While there may have been people held liable for this transaction, the above question is a simple inquiry to further shed light on how the transaction was carried out. This side of the story is something that needs to be clarified to the public.
Some officials from the city of Manila were involved in yet another government anomaly. The Commission on Audit filed a notice of disallowance against 11 Manila officials after deficiencies on the vouchers were found during the auditing process. The voucher contained the alleged consultancy fees of 21 fictitious consultants, who purportedly contracted to work for the office of the Mayor. Mayor Alfredo Lim claimed that he did not sign any contract concerning the appointment of the said consultants.
The said notice of disallowance was released after Mayor Alfredo Lim stated in his affidavit, the he never authorized nor appointed Nelson Del Mundo and the rest of the supposed 21 consultants to work in his office. As a follow up, Lim also noted that he did not sign any contract for the said services nor did he allowed the fictitious consultants to receive any consultation fees or compensations. The Mayor's statement was backed up by three officers assigned at the city Mayor's office. The three office staff who supported the mayor's statement were Rowena Senatin, Helen Natividad and Arturo Mijares.
According to the officials, the names of the consultants that appeared in the payrolls that was submitted to them by some of the members of the accounting and property division of the city of Manila were not included in the list of consultants that were employed by the mayor. The three also confirmed that the consultants were fictitious. This government anomaly is a clear manifestation of the ongoing corrupt practices in the local government of Manila. Nonetheless, like any other forms of illegal activities, the transaction was done in order to benefit the people involved.
The anomalous transaction was carried out and consented by 11 officials from the accounting and property division of the local government of Manila. The named officials were Pacifico Lagramada, Yolanda Ignacio, Marleen Young, Gloria Quilantang, Vicky Valientes, Erlinda Marteja, Philip Cabalun II, Cherry Chan, Alicia Moscaya, Fritz Noel Borres, and Rodelio Leyson. The said officials consented the release of P5,058,000.00 as a payment to the non-existent consultants for their supposed services to the mayor's office. Mayor Alfredo Lim and the affidavit of his staffs attested the involvement of the said personnel.
Bocolan recommended in the notice of disallowance that the identified perpetrators from the accounting and property division of the city of Manila to refund the full amount of P5,058,000.00. The given amount was the supposed payment for the 21 consultants, who purportedly worked for the office of the mayor. The notice given by the Commission of Audit was final, giving the involved officials six months to settle the issue. Accordingly, if the said individuals were not able to comply, the commission would take the necessary steps in order to enforce the notice.
Although Mayor Alfredo Lim, in his affidavit, served as the way to expose this particular corrupt activity, it appears that something in this picture does not coordinate. Considering that all the local projects of Manila are needed to be approved by the mayor, what remains questionable in this instance is the fact that the release of payments was still done in spite of Lim claiming that he did not gave his authority for the said project. While there may have been people held liable for this transaction, the above question is a simple inquiry to further shed light on how the transaction was carried out. This side of the story is something that needs to be clarified to the public.
Some officials from the city of Manila were involved in yet another government anomaly. The Commission on Audit filed a notice of disallowance against 11 Manila officials after deficiencies on the vouchers were found during the auditing process. The voucher contained the alleged consultancy fees of 21 fictitious consultants, who purportedly contracted to work for the office of the Mayor. Mayor Alfredo Lim claimed that he did not sign any contract concerning the appointment of the said consultants.
No comments:
Post a Comment