Vice governor to Quiño: Start clean

CEBU Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale urged the newly installed Compostela Mayor Joel Quiño and his council to account for local government resources.

Start clean, she said.

Town officials set out to inventory the town’s assets especially equipment and the remaining budget.

“The inventory of equipment is ongoing,” said Magpale, who visited the town to attend the wake of engineer Concordio Quiño who died after his brother, the mayor, was proclaimed winner of the 2010 polls by a special board of canvassers in Manila this week.

With the municipal leadership in place, Magpale said she prayed that no violence would occur.

In last Wednesday’s inaugural municipal council session, municipal treasurer Cleofe Gonzaga was unable to show an inventory or explain the status of these assets.

“Kinsa man kaya diay ang paninglonon nako?” said Councilor Tessa Cang during the session.

Gonzaga, who replaced the previous treasurer Lorenzo Almodiel after his suspension last year, said that P62.6 million was left in the town’s coffers. She assured the council that she would do her best to account for the equipment and the town’s budget.

Vice Mayor Mary Antonette Dangoy, in her inaugural speech, said she would “push for transparency” in governance.

Mayor Quiño said he was till waiting for the audit report of the Commission on Audit (COA). / Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus