DILG demands liquidation of P7M spent by ex-village execs

SAN PEDRO CITY—The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said former village officials in San Antonio here failed to liquidate at least P7 million worth of government funds after more than a year since their terms ended.

The DILG, headed by its city director, Jennifer Quirante, on Dec. 12 called the attention of former San Antonio village chair Jaimie Ambayec, former village treasurer Alfredo Casacop and former village bookkeeper Felizardo Cuaño over P7 million in funds that they received but which city accountant Lorna Andigan reported as unliquidated.

Liquidation is the process by which recipients of funds declare how they spent the money.

Quirante called for a meeting after Eugenio Ynion Jr., current village chair of San Antonio, complained that past officials of the village failed to turn over financial documents and inventory reports on vehicles and pieces of property when he assumed office on Dec. 1, 2013.

“On the discussion, it was found out that there was an unliquidated amount of more or less P7 million by the past administration (according to Mrs. Andigan),” read a copy of the meeting’s minutes furnished the Inquirer.

Quirante said “as an effect, the current (village) administration could not secure financial statements for the calendar year 2013 which is a basic document in the formulation of the 2015 barangay budget.”

In a phone interview Monday, former village chair Ambayec said the money is not missing. What are missing, she said, are the documents that justify the funds’ use.

The P7 million, he said, went to the payroll accounts of village employees during their last months in office, “as pointed out by the city accountant (Andigan) and the treasurer (Casacop) during our meeting.”

“The money is neither missing nor pocketed,” Ambayec said.

He said under his term, the village allotted P1 million per month for the employees’ salaries. “Either the documents were not submitted (by the village treasurer) or the (city) accountant could not find them,” he said.

The Inquirer tried to contact Andigan for comment but the accountant hung the phone up after saying she refuses to answer questions.

Josefina Castillo-Go, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) DILG regional director, said local government officials are required to turn over financial records to their successors immediately after an election.

She said her office would investigate the case.