BACOLOD City Councilor Sonya Verdeflor yesterday questioned the 60-day preventive suspension ordered by Mayor Evelio Leonardia against the five city employees with unliquidated cash advances.
Verdeflor said she believes that politics is behind the suspension of Pacita Tero, head of Department of Social Services and Development; Mae Cuaycong of City Planning and Development Office; Edsel Casilagan of Public Affairs and Assistance Division; Diana Besañes of City Health Office; and Ma. Fe Trespuentes of Department of Public Services.
An administrative case for gross neglect of duty were filed against the five employees after they failed to liquidate their cash advances amounting to P10.025 million during the term of former mayor Monico Puentevella.
“For me, it is not right to suspend them. They should be given a chance to liquidate their cash advances,” Verdeflor said.
The councilor said these employees were forced to make the cash advances for the city's expenses like the Charter Day, Independence Day, among others.
“If given a choice, they will not do that because they also know the responsibility," Verdeflor said.
Victor Emmanuel Espina of General Services Office was not included in the case after he complied with the liquidation documents.
According to records, Cuaycong had a cash advance of P3 million for the hosting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference 2015 that was obtained on April 21, 2015 while Tero obtained a cash advance amounting to P84,866 for Philippine National Games on May 21, 2014 and P3.5 million for Apec 2015, which was considered confidential expenses, on April 28, 2015.
Casilagan also had cash advance in the amount of P500,000 for the Philippine Representation to the Hong Kong International Chinese New Year Celebration on February 15-22, 2015 which was obtained on February 11, 2015.
Tero and Casilagan had partial liquidation of their previous cash advances.
Besañes also obtained P500,000 for Panaad sa Negros Festival 2015 on April 8, 2015 and Espina received P400,000 for the 2014 Charter Day Celebration on October 15, 2014. Trespuentes obtained P2.041 million for the 2015 Charter Day celebration on November 2, 2015, several days after the said celebration.
Verdeflor said that while the investigation is ongoing, the five employees should have been advised to go on leave instead of being suspended for two months without pay.
“They are only doing their job, but they were suspended,” she added.
