COA to City Hall Workers: Reimburse the P20k Calamity Assistance

● Some City Hall workers are now worried because they do not have money to pay back

The Commission on Audit (COA) has already decided that the more than 4,200 officials and employees of the Cebu City government will be required to reimburse the P87 million that were equally divided at P20,000 to each of them.

COA has already started gathering the necessary documents to be used as basis for the issuance of a Notice of Disallowance of such disbursement that was spent by the city as calamity assistance to each of the employees last Christmas.

The issuance of the Notice of Disallowance would mean that those who received the calamity financial assistance shall be required to reimburse the government of the amount because such expenditures has been considered by the state auditors as highly irregular.

MetroCebuNews learned from some employees at the City Hall’s Treasurer’s Office and Accounting Department that there were some state auditors who went to their offices and secured the needed documents, including payrolls while they also secured copies of the approved budget ordinance and resolution from the City Council.

The records show that Mayor Michael Rama endorsed to the City Council for approval the granting of calamity financial assistance claiming that the City Hall employees has been badly affected by the earthquake and typhoon Yolanda last year.

It was Councilor Sisinio Andales who made a gesture that if the city has the funds to be spent for the granting of calamity assistance it should be made P20,000 and not only P15,000.

Andales’ suggestion was carried by the City Council, although Councilors Margarita “Margot” Osmeña and Lea Japson announced that they will not receive their shares because they would be ashamed to do it.

COA also secured some newspaper clippings about the granting of the calamity financial assistance that include the report which quoted the mayor saying that he spent his P20,000 in paying his water and electricity bills.

There were some City Hall employees who are already worried after they learned that COA will disallow the amount and they would be required to reimburse the funds.

Once the state auditors completes the gathering of the necessary documents, the Notice of Disallowance would be sent to the mayor’s office for the latter to implement it.

Those employees who cannot reimburse will be deducted of the amount once they retire from service and claim their benefits.

The irregular granting of the calamity assistance to the City Hall employees prompted Lawyer Reymelio Delute, a supporter of the Bando Osmeña Pundok-Kauswagan (BOPK), to file administrative cases for grave abuse of authority against Rama, Vice mayor Edgardo Labella and 11 city councilors before the Office of the President.