Just last October 29, 2009, the Commission on Audit filed a two-page notice of disallowance against some of the officials and members of the local government of the city of Manila. The notice was filed after it was found that the claims for the consultancy payment of the 21 consultants, who were supposedly appointed to work at the office of the mayor, were deficient. The said vouchers did not complement the audit prepared by Domingo C. Bocalan Jr., State Auditor IV and that the vouchers were void because the 21 consultants listed in the payroll were inexistent. The illegal transaction was said to have cost the city the amount of P5,058,000.00.
The notice of disallowance was filed soon after Mayor Alfredo Lim said in his affidavit that he did not have any knowledge, whatsoever, of the said transaction, and that he never authorized the purported contracted services to take place. The Mayor also added that he never signed any contract related to the purported services nor did he granted the payment for the supposed 21 consultants. Lim's claims in his affidavit were backed up by three of his trusted staff. The three office staff who supported the mayor's statement were Rowena Senatin, Helen Natividad and Arturo Mijares.
The three office staff said in their affidavit that the consultants, whose names appeared in the voucher submitted to them, were never employed by the mayor. Senatin, Natividad and Mijares confirmed that the name Nelson Del Mundo as well as the other alleged consultants was fictitious. This government anomaly is a clear manifestation of the ongoing corrupt practices in the local government of Manila. Likewise, this transaction was not necessarily carried out to help the city but a mere justification for the involved personnel to acquire personal gains.
The anomalous transaction was carried out and consented by 11 officials from the accounting and property division of the local government of Manila. The named officials were Pacifico Lagramada, Yolanda Ignacio, Marleen Young, Gloria Quilantang, Vicky Valientes, Erlinda Marteja, Philip Cabalun II, Cherry Chan, Alicia Moscaya, Fritz Noel Borres, and Rodelio Leyson. Subsequently, the aforementioned officials facilitated the payment amounting to P5,058,000.00 among the 21 fictitious consultants, who never rendered actual services. Mayor Alfredo Lim and his staff confirmed that names of the perpetrators.
The involved personnel from the accounting and property division of the city of Manila were recommended by Bocolan, in his notice of disallowance, to return the full amount of P5,058,000.00. The given amount was the supposed payment for the 21 consultants, who purportedly worked for the office of the mayor. The notice of disallowance given by the Commission on Audit is final and executory under the law, and can only be appealed by the involved participants in the anomalous transaction within six months from the day the notice was filed. Accordingly, if the said individuals were not able to comply, the commission would take the necessary steps in order to enforce the notice.
Although the words of Mayor Alfredo Lim may have served as the justification for the named individuals to be held liable by the Commission on Audit, it appears that there is something wrong with this transaction. It is known that every local project are needed to be approved by the mayor before it is facilitated; in this instance though, what remains questionable is the fact that the project was not hindered although Mayor Lim said that he did not approved it. Although the involved people in this anomalous transaction were already held liable for their corrupt practice, answering this question would somehow shed light to the blind side of the story. Perhaps this question is needed to be answered for the public's understanding.
Some officials from the city of Manila were involved in yet another government anomaly. The Commission on Audit filed a notice of disallowance against 11 Manila officials after deficiencies on the vouchers were found during the auditing process. The voucher contained the alleged consultancy fees of 21 fictitious consultants, who purportedly contracted to work for the office of the Mayor. Mayor Alfredo Lim claimed that he did not sign any contract concerning the appointment of the said consultants.
The notice of disallowance was filed soon after Mayor Alfredo Lim said in his affidavit that he did not have any knowledge, whatsoever, of the said transaction, and that he never authorized the purported contracted services to take place. The Mayor also added that he never signed any contract related to the purported services nor did he granted the payment for the supposed 21 consultants. Lim's claims in his affidavit were backed up by three of his trusted staff. The three office staff who supported the mayor's statement were Rowena Senatin, Helen Natividad and Arturo Mijares.
The three office staff said in their affidavit that the consultants, whose names appeared in the voucher submitted to them, were never employed by the mayor. Senatin, Natividad and Mijares confirmed that the name Nelson Del Mundo as well as the other alleged consultants was fictitious. This government anomaly is a clear manifestation of the ongoing corrupt practices in the local government of Manila. Likewise, this transaction was not necessarily carried out to help the city but a mere justification for the involved personnel to acquire personal gains.
The anomalous transaction was carried out and consented by 11 officials from the accounting and property division of the local government of Manila. The named officials were Pacifico Lagramada, Yolanda Ignacio, Marleen Young, Gloria Quilantang, Vicky Valientes, Erlinda Marteja, Philip Cabalun II, Cherry Chan, Alicia Moscaya, Fritz Noel Borres, and Rodelio Leyson. Subsequently, the aforementioned officials facilitated the payment amounting to P5,058,000.00 among the 21 fictitious consultants, who never rendered actual services. Mayor Alfredo Lim and his staff confirmed that names of the perpetrators.
The involved personnel from the accounting and property division of the city of Manila were recommended by Bocolan, in his notice of disallowance, to return the full amount of P5,058,000.00. The given amount was the supposed payment for the 21 consultants, who purportedly worked for the office of the mayor. The notice of disallowance given by the Commission on Audit is final and executory under the law, and can only be appealed by the involved participants in the anomalous transaction within six months from the day the notice was filed. Accordingly, if the said individuals were not able to comply, the commission would take the necessary steps in order to enforce the notice.
Although the words of Mayor Alfredo Lim may have served as the justification for the named individuals to be held liable by the Commission on Audit, it appears that there is something wrong with this transaction. It is known that every local project are needed to be approved by the mayor before it is facilitated; in this instance though, what remains questionable is the fact that the project was not hindered although Mayor Lim said that he did not approved it. Although the involved people in this anomalous transaction were already held liable for their corrupt practice, answering this question would somehow shed light to the blind side of the story. Perhaps this question is needed to be answered for the public's understanding.
Some officials from the city of Manila were involved in yet another government anomaly. The Commission on Audit filed a notice of disallowance against 11 Manila officials after deficiencies on the vouchers were found during the auditing process. The voucher contained the alleged consultancy fees of 21 fictitious consultants, who purportedly contracted to work for the office of the Mayor. Mayor Alfredo Lim claimed that he did not sign any contract concerning the appointment of the said consultants.
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