Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas and Councilor President Elipe
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By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

DESPITE Monday’s approval of a P2.46-billion budget for city hall this year, two outgoing members of the city council may end up receiving nothing when they step down on June 30.

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Reason: the Commission on Audit (COA) ordered city hall last year to withhold the release of funds city hall owes the officials because of the controversial multimillion-peso telecommunications project implemented in 2003.

Councilor Teodulfo Lao Jr. said Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas and Councilor President Elipe are not supposed to receive their benefits because of a May 19, 2015 order from the audit commission in connection with the controversial Telepono sa Barangay project during the Emano administration.

The two-page order came from COA Assistant Commissioner Isabel Agito who directed city hall not to give the officials linked to the Scantel project anything.

According to Lao, Emano and Co. have yet to account for P31,544,761.94 paid to Scantel by city hall for a telephone system project for 17 hinterland barangays in 2003.

Lao said Agito sent a copy of the order to Mayor Oscar Moreno. The COA decided to make former mayor Vicente Emano and other officials return some P31 million that was released to Scantel in tranches.

Lao said Councilor Annie Daba and returning councilor Ian Mark Nacaya are also not supposed to receive salaries and other benefits from city hall because of the Scantel mess.

Covered by the same order are the then councilors Juan Sia, Jose  Benjamin Benaldo who later became congressman, Michelle Tagarda Spiers who subsequently became vice mayor, Edgar Cabanlas,  Reynaldo Advincula, Maryanne Enteria and Alfonso Goking, and the late vice mayor John Elizaga.

State auditors also held liable former city hall executives Wilma Polley Rugay, Lino Daral, Virginia Plaza, Estrella Sagaral, Jorie Bingona, Emmanuel Abejuela, Rodulfo Lumacang, and Isidro Obligado.

The state auditing body had issued a notice of disallowance on July 8, 2008 against city hall.

Lao said the COA order was clear: “In case any of the above-named persons are no longer in the service, please cause the collection or settlement of the name directly from them, and inform this office within 15 days from the receipt hereof of effort to collect made pursuant hereto.”

On Sept. 17, 2014, state auditors issued a notice of finality of its decision on the Scantel project. Agito’s executory order was delivered to Moreno in May 19 last year.

On Monday, the city council approved a P2.46-billion budget for city hall for this year, a move which he described to be self-serving.

Lao said the approved budget made city hall’s release of terminal leave benefits for its outgoing members legal.

“Pangbalon ra gyud ang ilang toyo ug motibo sa ilang pag-approve sa 2016 budget.  Kay kon dili nila approbahan, wala man silay madala sa ilang pagkana-og sa city hall sa June 30,” Lao said.

Other outgoing officials entitled to benefits are councilors Adrian Barba, Alden Bacal, Alexander Dacer, Dante Pajo, Ramon Tabor, Roger Abaday, and Lourdes Darimbang.

Lao noted that only Abaday opposed the move of the city council to significantly reduce the annual budget proposed by Mayor Moreno.

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