THE barangay treasurer of Libo-o, Ronda town in southwest Cebu was ordered dismissed from service for failing to account cash advances amounting to P1.5 million.
The Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas also barred Baby Almira Abangan from holding public office. Her retirement benefits were also forfeited.
Abangan and former Libo-o barangay captain Roel Carreon were found liable of gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct over unliquidated cash advances for the calendar year 2006 to 2007.
Carreon, however, was spared from the penalty because at the time this administrative case was filed on Feb. 26, 2013, he was no longer in public office.
The administrative complaint against Carreon was dismissed by the anti-graft office which has lost jurisdiction over him after he left government service in 2010.
The issue stemmed from the complaint filed by a certain Gregoria Villagonzalo who claimed that several irregularities were committed during Carreon’s term.
The complainant also alleged that there were unliquidated cash advances in the barangay.
The Commission on Audit (COA) found out that the disbursement of funds in barangay Libo-o were not supported with disbursement vouchers, payrolls, and other documents, and that the respondents did not comply with the audit directive to submit the required documents.
The respondents were signatories of 117 checks, covering the period from Jan. 2, 2006 to Dec. 28, 2007.
The respondents denied the allegations.
Carreon said he was not on leave when he signed the questioned checks. While it is true that he applied for a leave for his supposed travel to Norway, Carreon said his travel did not materialize because his application for visa was disapproved.
The Ombudsman gave credence to Carreon’s justification. But he and Abangan were still held liable for failing to account for cash advances amounting to P1.5 million.
“In issuing the checks without the disbursement vouchers and in failing to render an account for it, respondents committed the administrative offense of gross neglect of duty and grave misconduct,” said graft investigation and prosecution officer Carmelle Baybay-Suson.