Social welfare officer warned on delays in reimbursing advances

A SOCIAL welfare officer of Sibonga town, southern Cebu was reprimanded by the Ombudsman-Visayas for her delay in liquidating her cash advances worth P4,302 last year.

In a joint resolution, graft investigation officer Michael Mernardo Jr. chided Sibonga social welfare officer Mildred Lauron for belatedly reimbursing her cash advances.

Lauron was likewise warned that similar offenses would be dealt with more severely.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by the Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Office (FIO) over Lauron’s failure to settle her cash advances.

The Sibonga municipal government granted Lauron a cash advance of P31,000, but the FIO said Lauraon still had an unpaid balance of P4,302 as of August 2016.

In her counter-affidavit, Lauron said she was surprised to learn that she still had an unliquidated amount of P19,302.13 in late 2015.

The amount covered her previous travel to Davao City and the purchase of camote.

Lauron said she immediately paid P15,000, the amount she had at that time. She said it was probably due to “old age” or plain oversight that she forgot to settle the remaining balance.

It was learned from the municipal accountant’s office that Lauron settled her remaining balance on November 11 last year.

The Ombudsman-Visayas noted that while Lauron reimbursed the amount only after the complaint was filed against her, her belated reimbursement rendered the complaint “moot and academic.”