Fernandez
EMPLOYEES of Barangay Ermita in Cebu City won’t be able to receive their salaries due to the failure of their officials to submit liquidation reports to the Commission on Audit (COA).
Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez, executive assistant to Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, said he was told by COA that they ordered the Land Bank of the Philippines not to release any money to Barangay Ermita for this reason.
“We are now dealing with the treasurer of Barangay Ermita that they should liquidate those funds. If they can liquidate, then we can disburse. The mayor is willing to sign,” he told reporters.
More than 100 employees of Barangay Ermita have not received their salaries for more than two months now after their barangay chairman Felicisimo Rupinta and the barangay councilmen were suspended for six months since January this year.
The suspension order imposed by the Ombudsman stemmed from the failure of Barangay Ermita officials to cooperate in a raid of a shabu “tiangge (flea market) in their area.
The Office of the President and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) have not yet appointed an official caretaker of the barangay that can sign vouchers for salaries.
Fernandez said the mayor would have signed vouchers if not for the COA order preventing him from doing so.
He said they will help the barangay treasurer in submitting the liquidation reports.
“This is not just in Ermita. There are a number of barangays where COA has suspended disbursement,” Fernandez said.