MAYOR Oscar Moreno on Wednesday directed city hall’s treasurer, accountant, and budget officer to withhold the salaries and all benefits of Vice Mayor Ceasar Ian Acenas and two councilors linked to the Scantel phone mess. Moreno’s directive came after city hall received a notice of execution from the Commission on Audit (COA) that earlier ruled to require ex-mayor Vicente Emano and 20 others return some P31.5 million released to Scantel on separate occasions as payment for the controversial telephone project intended for the city’s outlying barangays. The telephone system turned out to be a white elephant. Moreno’s directive means Acenas and the other officials would no longer receive anything from city hall, including Christmas and yearend bonuses and allowances, during the remaining months of their office terms or until city hall collects the P31.5 million given to Scantel by the Emano administration. COA’s order of execution applies to councilors Annie Daba and President Elipe, and Engr. Isidro Obligado of the city hall’s housing task force. Moreno also ordered that demand letters be sent by city hall to Emano and other former city hall executives Wilma Rugay, Lino Daral, Virgina Plaza, Estrella Sagaral, Jorie Bingona, Rodulfo Lumacang, and ex-councilors Juan Sia, Jose Benjamin Benaldo, Emmanuel Abejuela, Michelle Tagarda, Edgar Cabanlas, Alfonso Goking, Maryann Enteria, and Ian Mark Nacaya. Two other former officials involved in the Scantel mess––ex-vice mayor John Elizaga and ex-councilor Reynaldo Advincula––are already dead. The COA’s order of execution, dated May 19, 2015, was signed by COA assistant commissioner Isabelo Aguito. Moreno directed city treasurer Glenn Bañez, city accountant Beda Joy Elot, and city budget officer Percy Salazar to execute the COA order through Memorandum no. 335-1-5. He signed the three-page directive on Wednesday. “I’m duty-bound to enforce the order,” said Moreno. He said the salaries, allowances and other benefits of Acenas, Daba, Elipe, and Obligado would be withheld starting this month. (nitz arancon)