The only way to convince the public that there was no anomaly in the P20 million unliquidated cash advances of city hall is to avoid further indication of a cover-up, according to Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso.
During an interview yesterday, Veloso stood by his statement in last Sunday's banner story that the "minority bloc fears of another cover-up."
"The minority bloc based its fears for the reason that it took them the hard way to get the documents of the unliquidated cash advances," he explained.
He recalled that he has to write the Commission on Audit in Manila to release the documents as they could not source it out from the city accountant's office where these documents would have originated.
"What was surprising was that in the previous year's COA Report, the unliquidated cash advances are automatically included in the report. However, for 2007 and 2008, the supporting documents detailing the names of those who cashed advance were no longer to be found," Veloso stressed.
Veloso clarified allegations that he has not lifted a finger to comment on the unliquidated cash advances report. He said that his official move was to refer the report to the committees on appropriations and accountability as these are the proper bodies to scrutinize on said report.
The vice mayor reacted sharply to the allegations of Kagawad Oscar Glovasa, chairman of the committee on appropriations questioning him for not issuing his personal comments on the matter.
Glovasa, during last Thursday's session apologized to the vice mayor for demanding from him (Veloso) his comments on the issue.
"Pardon the term," Glovasa said during the session after the vice mayor instead asked the lawmaker that it was his committee that would render the report, and not him as presiding officer.
Veloso was asked whether it was his own words quoted in the Chronicle last Sunday regarding the "cover-up."
He admitted that he must not have said the exact word as "cover-up," but that was what he meant when he was interviewed due to the circumstances behind the unliquidated cash advances issue at the city hall.
"If there was no cover-up, why should I have to write COA Manila for the documents?" Veloso asked.
He challenged the majority bloc that if they don't want the public to suspect of a "cover-up," then they should make the documents available at the soonest possible time, referring to the particulars of the 2008 unliquidated cash advances amounting to P20 million.
- the Bohol Chronicle
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Topic: Prove No Cover-up in P20-M Unliquidated Cash Advance, Dares Veloso (Read 707 times)