CAGAYAN de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno's antagonist William Guialani has resurfaced and yet again made public a copy of a letter from Malacañang, directing the mayor to answer a complaint regarding the anomalous eight checks worth P79 million which the latter released in 2015.
In the letter, Ryan Alvin Acosta, Acting Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs of the Office of the President, stated that Moreno is directed to submit within 15 days from receipt of the letter, his verified answer for releasing 8 checks worth P79 million in favor of Moreno.
It further states that there were no records and substantial disbursement of the checks, which involved the banks: Philippine Postal Savings Bank, Philippines Veterans Bank, Land Bank of the Philippines-Velez, and the Development Bank of the Philippines.
But in a radio interview, lawyer Dale Mordeno, head of Moreno's legal counsel, said the matter has already been investigated by the Commission on Audit in 2015, following a complaint sent by Clemente Atoc, to the Office of the Ombudsman.
Mordeno said the Commission on Audit (COA) had already proven that these checks are "regular transactions."
"Kini na transactions naa namay audit sa COA, after reviewing all documents, regular man ang mga transactions, as a matter of fact gane, ang COA gaingon na settled naman ni na mga account, ang term ani sa audit closed accounts na, so meaning, reguar ang findings sa mga state auditors," he said.
Mordeno said had the accounts remain questionable as what Guialani claims, its camp could have received notice of disallowances and notice of suspension against them, but so far, they have received none.
"Naay proseso ana, kung agrabyado gyud ang auditors na dili justified ang expenditures, mag-issue man na sila ug notice of suspension, naa pud grounds didto na imong irefute or ijustify, kung najustify, ang account maconsider gihapon na closed or settled na, so kung dili, mao ng moissue ug Notice of disallowance," he said.
Mordeno said they have yet to receive a copy of the Malacan letter.
Guialani meanwhile belied claims of Mordeno that the checks have already been settled.
He said he went to the COA himself for the update of the checks, and found out that these are still not cleared.
"Gipili nako na mag-file sa Office of the President kay kung anha ka sa Ombudsman, makakuha man si Moreno ug TRO, so diri sa Office sa Presidente, kung muingon siyag isuspend, automatic na, no TRO," he said.
"Confident ta na ma-suspend na gyud si Moreno, ug makuha na gyud ninya unsay iyang deserve sa una pa," he added.
