THE Commission on Audit has cleared former Nueva Vizcaya governor Luisa Lloren Cuaresma and seven other local government officials of any liability in connection with the use of P27.16 million out of the province’s Special Education Fund (SEF) in 2013.
In a decision released last June 26, the COA Commission Proper reversed the 2015 decision of the COA Region 2 which affirmed the notice of disallowance issued against the contract for the improvement of the Department of Education-Division Office Building in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya using the SEF.
The expenditure was authorized by the Provincial School Board in three separate resolutions in 2012.
On post audit, government auditors issued a notice of disallowance against the transactions on the ground that the improvement of a DepEd office is not included in the list of specific activities and purposes under RA 5447 of the SEF Law and RA 7160 or the Local Government Code.
Aside from Cuaresma, also held liable were provincial budget officer Alejandra Dacumos, provincial engineer Jose Dennis Naui, general services officer Tomas Garra, Bids and Awards Committee members Gleceria Macasu, Edgardo Balgos, and Virgilio Jacinto; Technical Working Group member Ernesto Mateo and contractor Efren Apan.
On review, Mateo was dropped from the list of officials held liable together with Jacinto, Naui, Garra and Dacumos.
However, the audit team included as persons held liable school board members Alma Dolores Bodino, Manuel Tabora, Reynalda Bangunan, Perfecto Martinez, Benjamin Paragas, Rhoda Moreno, Nestor Velasco, Aurelio Salunat, and Emerlene Jane Galanta.
