P143M in cash advances in Agusan are unliquidated

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur—Just as public outrage continues to build up over the plunder of billions of pesos of taxpayers’ money through pork barrel, a former official of this province revealed that at least P143 million in cash advances charged to the provincial government remain unliquidated.

Ceferino Paredes Jr., former governor, called the attention of the Commission on Audit (COA) on the unliquidated advances after finding a report on the funds at the COA website.

Paredes took COA to task for allowing the continued release of funds despite officials’ failure to liquidate.

‘Useless watchdog’

“COA has become a useless watchdog,” said Paredes in a letter to COA Chair Grace Pulido Tan.

According to Paredes, provincial officials ignored requirements for them to liquidate an initial P30 million in cash advances until the amount of advances ballooned to P188 million in 2008.

Some of the advances had been liquidated but P143 million remain unliquidated.

Despite the officials’ failure to liquidate, or explain in detail how funds were spent, COA continued to allow officials to withdraw cash advances in 2009 until 2011.

Paredes, during his stint as governor, himself had cash advances from 1986 to 1992 but he said he had liquidated these.

Advances on top of advances

“Some officials even have cash advances on top of their previous unliquidated cash advances, a clear violation of existing audit policies, rules and regulations yet COA did nothing about it after all these years,” Paredes said in his letter to Tan.

The current governor of the province is Adolph Edward Plaza, who took the place of his sister, Valentina, who was governor from 2007-2010. A brother, Rodolfo, former congressman, has been charged in connection with the pork barrel scam involving a network of bogus nongovernment organizations allegedly formed by detained alleged wheeler-dealer Janet Lim-Napoles.

Adolph Edward cannot be reached for comment. Vice Gov. Santiago Cane Jr. said he would respond to Paredes’ statements after he has read the COA report that Paredes is referring to.

The cash advance issue has been raised during the campaign for the elections last May when groups fighting the Plaza clan, including Rodolfo Plaza, claimed that the provincial government could not account for more than P800 million in cash advances.

A complaint has been filed in connection with the unliquidated advances and is pending at the Ombudsman.

Plazas reign

According to the complaint, the unaccounted funds were released under the terms as governor of Valentina and her brother, incumbent governor Adolph Edward. Valentina is now representative of the province’s second district.

Local media reports quoted Joy Lagat, provincial accountant, as saying the unliquidated cash advances were made not only by the Plazas but also by other officials and workers of the provincial government, including those no longer connected with it. Chris V. Panganiban, Inquirer Mindanao