FORMER Santa Teresita, Batangas mayor and incumbent vice mayor Ma. Aurea V. Segunial and seven other municipal officials are facing investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman after government auditors flagged the transfer of P10 million livelihood funds to a private foundation in 2013.
In a six-page decision released last February, the Commission on Audit (COA) denied the local officials’ petition for review and directed the Prosecution and Litigation Office-Legal Services Sector to forward all audit records to the Ombudsman “for investigation and filing of charges against the persons responsible, if warranted.”
Aside from Segunial, also held liable were municipal accountant Recilita Alvaera and Bids and Awards Committee officers Benjamin Benedicto Jr., Rosenni Marasigan, Nerio Valencia, Teresita Tagle, Daniel Cataquiz, and Mylene Segunial.
At the same time, the COA Commission Proper affirmed the notice of disallowance (ND) requiring the same officials to refund the sum sourced from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel allocations of former senator Gregorio Honasan.
In addition, the commission said the participation of members of the Sangguniang Bayan who voted to pass SB Resolution No. 29-A-2013 will be evaluated to determine if they should be included in the list of persons liable for the fund transfer.
Auditors said the former mayor and the other municipal officials allowed the turnover of Honasan’s PDAF to Focus on Development Goal Foundation Inc. (FDGFI) even if the said non-government organization was found to be non-compliant with COA Circular No 2007-01 which include registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) or the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).
Likewise required are an authenticated copy of the latest Articles of Incorporation showing the original incorporators/organizers and the Secretary’s certificate for incumbent officers, financial reports audited by an independent Certified Public Accountant for the past three years, and a disclosure by the NGO of other related business, if any.
“In the implementation of livelihood projects, the requirements of COA Circular No. 2007-001 dated October 25, 2007 were not complied with, particularly the documentary requirements that the Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) implementing the project must satisfy to be entitled to government funds,” the COA noted.
“The release of funds to FDGFI for the implementation of livelihood projects is irregular, pursuant to COA Circular No. 2012-003 dated October 29, 2012, and therefore, subject to disallowance,” it added.
