By LITO RULONA
Correspondent
MAYOR Oscar Moreno’s lawyer has written back to Malacañang and asked more time to submit an explanation on the eight city hall checks amounting to some P79 million that were written to him in early 2016.
Moreno’s lawyer Dale Bryan Mordeno said he sent the letter on behalf of Moreno to ask for 15 more days to answer the complaint of a former barangay chairman. He said his hands were still full because of other cases filed against the mayor.
Mordeno told local radio the letter was sent to Ryan Alvin Acosta, acting deputy executive secretary for legal affairs of the Office of the President, who ordered Moreno to explain why he was the payee.
The order, dated Aug. 18, 2017, gave Moreno 15 days to submit a verified answer to William Guialani’s complaint that Moreno appeared as the payee in the eight city hall checks.
The former barangay chairman’s complaint against former city treasurer Glenn Bañez, city accountant Beda Joy Elot and and city budget officer Percy Salazar was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
Mordeno said the mayor was unfazed over the complaint, saying they see the communication from Malacanang like an office memo.
“Sama ba kini sa nagtrabaho ka sa usa ka opisina nga gipadalhan ka og memo sa imong boss. Ipa-explain ka og ipatubag unya tan-awon lamang kung valid ba imong tubag,” Mordeno said.
He said he doubted if the complaint would prosper given that it was already explained to the Commission on Audit, and the explanation was already accepted.
Mordeno said he needed more time because he was still working on other cases filed against Moreno by Guialani and other accusers.
In an earlier interview, Mordeno said it was a legal move of the mayor against the then “unfriendly” city council to prevent the P79 million appropriated in 2015 from reverting to city hall’s general funds in 2016. By doing that, he said, Moreno made sure that the appropriated funds were used to provide Philhealth coverage to 75 thousand residents.
He said COA initially questioned it but the issue was subsequently settled.
Mordeno said the complainant was apparently unaware of what took place after the initial COA audit.
“Kung madawat niya among copy sa response, then makasabot ra sila,” Mordeno said.
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