ELEVEN Talisay City department heads who were ordered by the Commission on Audit (COA) to refund P29.4 million in disallowance collected their salaries for the second half of February.
City Treasurer Emma Macuto and City Accountant Viluzminda-Villarante said in a letter to Mayor Johnny delos Reyes that they were constrained from withholding the salaries of the employees pending resolution of their motion for reconsideration with the Supreme Court.
“We are grabbing the opportunity to seek justice from the higher court for the one sided resolution of the Commission on Audit, taking consideration only of the alleged procedural lapses and overseeing the material benefits that the city was enjoying. Likewise, without consideration of the other alternative mode of procurement provided under RA 9184,” Macuto and Villarante said in a Feb. 22 letter to delos Reyes.
“Hope you can understand our side, Mayor, for we understand also your side, although despite this political conflict which we have no role, still we continue to support your administration and our responsibility as non-pastisan regular employees,” their letter said.
Delos Reyes said he will be writing COA to report the employees refusal to pay refund. He said he would leave it up to the national agency to decide what they would do next.
COA earlier found the P29.4 million purchase of computers and liquid fertilizers in 2005 as overpriced and directed delos Reyes to demand refund from former mayors Eduardo Gullas and Socrates Fernandez.
Also ordered to refund were Villarante, Macuto, City Agriculturist Rene Galado, City Budget Officer Edgar Mabunay, City Engineer Audie Bacasmas, Assistant City Engineer Gamaliel Vicente Jr., Assistant City Registrar Emely Cabrera, Planning Officer Ariel Araw-araw, Government Services Office head Joan Vebar and Storekeeper 1 Melanie Lavador-Caballero.
Two others issued with the same letter – Aurora Econg, former city administrator, and Rey Lumapas, a member of the Bids and Awards Committee, – are no longer employed in the city government.