Editorial of the Bohol Chronicle"In a state of denial" describes a person who, fearful to death of the consequences of an act, psychologically denies to himself and others that such an officious act existed.
This appears to be the mental state of the City Mayor these days.
In the case of the scandalous P20-million new unliquidated advances, all His Immensity can crow is that such cash advances are normal for LGUs and Confidential Expenditures are answerable only to the Chairman of the Commission on Audit. Both are legally true.
But the derogatory COA Report of 2008 precisely says that there is a regulatory period for LGU offenders to liquidate both confidential and non-confidential expenses - expiry dates for both being breached by the non-timely report of City Hall on the liquidation status.
It is like Juan borrowing from Pedro but Juan does not pay Pedro on the due date of the loan thus Juan is in violation of the agreement, a transgression of the COA rules on the allowed timing of explanation/liquidation of the cash advances, in this case.
Then the City Mayor "brilliantly" isolates one phrase in the COA Report as: "The Financial Statements present fairly, and in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles." - and uses it as his defense.
But isn't it precisely because the proper accounting procedures were followed by COA that it had therefore cited violations of the law by the City? Isn't it that in that same COA Report it is so stated that the unexplained figures would therefore put to question the real income and assets of the City as a whole?
Let us stop playing childish games here - the public is simply sick and tired of falsehoods and palusot as they say.
The banner story of this paper last Sunday was lifted verbatim from the COA Report: under" SUMMARY OF UNLIQUIDATED CASH ADVANCES, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AND OTHER RECEIVABLES AS OF DECEMBER 31, 2008."
The paranoid Mayor calls this "poisoning the minds" of people and continues his daily dose of personal attacks on his critics - like a drug addict in need of his daily dosage of uppers. It apparently gives him the high while his loyalists chorus in cheers like puppets tied to a mayoralty string.
If the City Mayor really wants transparency, we hereby publicly offer a free space in next issue of this paper where the Mayor will state the dates of the itemized full liquidation of such advances in 2008 and 2007 and duly receipted by the COA.
Wouldn't that put the issue to rest the easier way?
Meantime, the Mayor's allies continue to mock those who filed the four cases against him: environmental rape, unliquidated 2007 advances, Agora rotten deal and tax harassment saying that they "will not get to first base." The only ones who can bravely say those words are those who believe there are no legal merits in the cases or have bought the judges.
Well, last week the Ombudsman in Cebu (signed by Acting Director Samuel S Malasarte) just directed the City Mayor that since it found basis to proceed with the criminal investigation on the tax harassment cases filed by the BCRC, he should answer within (inextendable ten days from reciept) with a Counter-Affidavit.
That Ombudsman act means there is merit in our case against the City Mayor and not all judges can be bought. Is the Mayor still in a state of denial that this new reality now exists?
In a strongly -worded paragraph, the Ombudsman also said: Motion to dismiss, motion for bills of particulars and similar dilatory tactics are prohibited pleadings and will be stricken off the records of the case".
Reality bites, Mr. Mayor? - or some things are harder to sink into your brain than others?
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