FOR the second time, former city administrator Teodoro Sabuga-a yesterday, May 5, alleged that the city administration made significant cash advances during major events in Cagayan de Oro.
In a press conference, Sabuga-a presented a Commission on Audit (COA) report that showed Mayor Rolando Uy received a total of P649 million in cash advances from 2022 to 2025, bringing the total amount Sabuga-a has exposed to nearly P1 billion.
He said the withdrawals often coincided with major city events.
Data released by Sabuga-a indicated that cash advances in 2023 showed a significant concentration of high-value fund releases in the months leading up to the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Oct. 30, 2023.
According to the data presented to the media, a total of P208.7 million was withdrawn from July to October 2023, marking the period with the highest disbursements.
“Cash withdrawal spiked in September 2023 and October 2023. Grabe nga gasto — over P136 million withdrawn during these two months,” Sabuga-a said.
He expressed concern that the same pattern could be repeated ahead of the May 2025 elections.
“This establishes a disturbing precedent wherein public funds may be utilized for partisan purposes,” Sabuga-a said.
The city administration dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.
In previous interviews, Jann Guillmore Actub said cash advances are a normal part of city operations. Actub also noted that former mayor Oscar Moreno’s administration made cash advances totaling nearly half a billion pesos.
According to Actub, those advances were made from 2019 to 2021, the final years of Moreno’s term, citing data based on Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circular No. 2010-2023, which mandates transparency in the use of public funds by local government units.
Moreno’s camp said the advances made during his administration were documented, liquidated, and available on the COA website.
Sabuga-a, however, criticized Uy’s cash advances as excessive, especially when city employees have yet to receive their clothing allowances.
“Kung naa may pag-abuso niini, tan-awn nato asa gipaingon. Dapat mubarog kita ug atong klaruhon kini nga pamaagi. Makadawat ang mga tao sa kwarta pero walay serbisyo,” he said.
