The Commission on Audit filed a two-page notice of disallowance last October 29, 2009 against some of the government officials in the city of Manila. The notice was filed after it was found that the claims for the consultancy payment of the 21 consultants, who were supposedly appointed to work at the office of the mayor, were deficient. However, based from the results of the audit prepared by Domingo C. Bocalan Jr., State Auditor IV, the submitted vouchers or payrolls for the period covering July1, 2007 to June 30, 2009 for alleged contracted services were void and that the supposed 21 consultants were fictitious employees. The illegal transaction was said to have cost the city the amount of P5,058,000.00.
The notice of disallowance was filed soon after Mayor Alfredo Lim said in his affidavit that he did not have any knowledge, whatsoever, of the said transaction, and that he never authorized the purported contracted services to take place. As a follow up, Lim also noted that he did not sign any contract for the said services nor did he allowed the fictitious consultants to receive any consultation fees or compensations. Lim's claims in his affidavit were backed up by three of his trusted staff. They are Rowena Senatin, Helen Natividad and Arturo Mijares.
In their affidavit, the three staff pointed out that the names of the 21 consultants in the payrolls submitted to them were not appointed by the mayor to work in his office. The three also confirmed that the consultants were fictitious. Such government anomaly is an indication of the existence of illegal transactions taking place in the local government of Manila. Likewise, this transaction was not necessarily carried out to help the city but a mere justification for the involved personnel to acquire personal gains.
The notice given by the Commission on Audit named 11 officials from the accounting and property division of Manila. The officials include Pacifico Lagramada, Yolanda Ignacio, Marleen Young, Gloria Quilantang, Vicky Valientes, Erlinda Marteja, Philip Cabalun II, Cherry Chan, Alicia Moscaya, Fritz Noel Borres, and Rodelio Leyson. The said officials consented the release of P5,058,000.00 as a payment to the non-existent consultants for their supposed services to the mayor's office. Mayor Alfredo Lim and the affidavit of his staffs attested the involvement of the said personnel.
In the notice submitted by Bocolan, he recommended that the involved personnel from the accounting and property division of the city of Manila to refund the P5,058,000.00. The said amount was the payment for the consultants of the alleged contracted services. The notice of disallowance given by the Commission on Audit is final and executory under the law, and can only be appealed by the involved participants in the anomalous transaction within six months from the day the notice was filed. Inability to comply to the notice will give the Commission on Audit the power to resort to necessary actions to enforce proper penalties.
Mayor Alfredo Lim may have given his words in order to justify the existence of this anomalous transaction; still, it cannot be denied that there is something inconsistent about the whole story. The only question that needs to be answered in this incident is how did the transaction came to fruition if Mayor Lim did not approve it in the first place? While there may have been people held liable for this transaction, the above question is a simple inquiry to further shed light on how the transaction was carried out. Perhaps this question is needed to be answered for the public's understanding.
A notice of disallowance was given by the Commission on Audit against some of the government officials from the city of Manila. The notice was filed following the deficiencies found in the vouchers submitted to the Commission on Audit, which contained the supposed payment for 21 fictitious consultants. This government anomaly had cost the city P5,058,000.00. Mayor Alfredo Lim noted that he did not approve and signed any of the contracts for the said consultation services.
-Julius Arante
A two-page notice of disallowance against some of the government officials in the city Manila was released by the Commission on Audit last October 29, 2009. The Commission on Audit filed the said notice when they found out that there were deficiencies on the voucher presented by the officials, which concerned the payments for the alleged contracted services of 21 consultants. The said vouchers did not complement the audit prepared by Domingo C. Bocalan Jr., State Auditor IV and that the vouchers were void because the 21 consultants listed in the payroll were inexistent. Accordingly, the anomalous transaction cost Manila the amount of P5,058,000.00.
The said notice of disallowance was released after Mayor Alfredo Lim stated in his affidavit, the he never authorized nor appointed Nelson Del Mundo and the rest of the supposed 21 consultants to work in his office. Lim also said that he has not signed any contract of services suggesting the said consultants' appointment nor did he approved the said entities to collect consultation fees or compensations. The Mayor's statement was backed up by three officers assigned at the city Mayor's office. Ms. Rowena Senatin, Ms. Helen Natividad and Mr. Arturo Mijares were the said officials who attested Lim's words through their affidavits.
The three office staff said in their affidavit that the consultants, whose names appeared in the voucher submitted to them, were never employed by the mayor. Senatin, Natividad and Mijares also confirmed that consultants in the voucher were inexistent. This particular government anomaly is just one of the corrupt practices plaguing Manila's local government. Nonetheless, like any other forms of illegal activities, the transaction was done in order to benefit the people involved.
The notice given by the Commission on Audit named 11 officials from the accounting and property division of Manila. The named officials were Pacifico Lagramada, Yolanda Ignacio, Marleen Young, Gloria Quilantang, Vicky Valientes, Erlinda Marteja, Philip Cabalun II, Cherry Chan, Alicia Moscaya, Fritz Noel Borres, and Rodelio Leyson. The said individuals were responsible for facilitating the payment of the fictitious 21 consultants worth P5,058,000.00 without rendering actual services. Their names were confirmed by the affidavit presented by Mayor Alfredo Lim and three of his staff.
The involved personnel from the accounting and property division of the city of Manila were recommended by Bocolan, in his notice of disallowance, to return the full amount of P5,058,000.00. The said amount was the payment for the consultants of the alleged contracted services. The notice given by the Commission of Audit was final, giving the involved officials six months to settle the issue. The inability to comply with the notice will allow the Commission on Audit to take necessary actions in order to settle the issue.
Although the words of Mayor Alfredo Lim may have served as the justification for the named individuals to be held liable by the Commission on Audit, it appears that there is something wrong with this transaction. The only question that needs to be answered in this incident is how did the transaction came to fruition if Mayor Lim did not approve it in the first place? Although the involved people in this anomalous transaction were already held liable for their corrupt practice, answering this question would somehow shed light to the blind side of the story. The public is waiting for this side of the story to be clarified.
Some officials from the city of Manila were involved in yet another government anomaly. The Commission on Audit filed a notice of disallowance against 11 Manila officials after deficiencies on the vouchers were found during the auditing process. The voucher contained the alleged consultancy fees of 21 fictitious consultants, who purportedly contracted to work for the office of the Mayor. Mayor Alfredo Lim claimed that he did not sign any contract concerning the appointment of the said consultants.
-Julius Arante
A two-page notice of disallowance against some of the government officials in the city Manila was released by the Commission on Audit last October 29, 2009. The notice was filed after it was found that the claims for the consultancy payment of the 21 consultants, who were supposedly appointed to work at the office of the mayor, were deficient. Domingo C. Bocalan Jr., State Auditor IV, who did the auditing of the said vouchers claimed that the 21 names of the consultants included in the payroll submitted for auditing were unreal, and that the contracted services did not took place. Accordingly, the anomalous transaction cost Manila the amount of P5,058,000.00.
The notice of disallowance was filed soon after Mayor Alfredo Lim said in his affidavit that he did not have any knowledge, whatsoever, of the said transaction, and that he never authorized the purported contracted services to take place. Lim also said that he has not signed any contract of services suggesting the said consultants' appointment nor did he approved the said entities to collect consultation fees or compensations. Lim's claims in his affidavit were backed up by three of his trusted staff. Ms. Rowena Senatin, Ms. Helen Natividad and Mr. Arturo Mijares were the said officials who attested Lim's words through their affidavits.
According to the officials, the names of the consultants that appeared in the payrolls that was submitted to them by some of the members of the accounting and property division of the city of Manila were not included in the list of consultants that were employed by the mayor. The three also confirmed that the consultants were fictitious. Such government anomaly is an indication of the existence of illegal transactions taking place in the local government of Manila. Nonetheless, like any other forms of illegal activities, the transaction was done in order to benefit the people involved.
The notice given by the Commission on Audit named 11 officials from the accounting and property division of Manila. The named officials were Pacifico Lagramada, Yolanda Ignacio, Marleen Young, Gloria Quilantang, Vicky Valientes, Erlinda Marteja, Philip Cabalun II, Cherry Chan, Alicia Moscaya, Fritz Noel Borres, and Rodelio Leyson. Subsequently, the aforementioned officials facilitated the payment amounting to P5,058,000.00 among the 21 fictitious consultants, who never rendered actual services. Mayor Alfredo Lim and his staff confirmed that names of the perpetrators.
Bocolan recommended in the notice of disallowance that the identified perpetrators from the accounting and property division of the city of Manila to refund the full amount of P5,058,000.00. The said amount was representative of the payment of salaries of the fictitious consultants, who were supposedly contracted by the city mayor. The notice given by the Commission of Audit was final, giving the involved officials six months to settle the issue. Accordingly, if the said individuals were not able to comply, the commission would take the necessary steps in order to enforce the notice.
Mayor Alfredo Lim may have given his words in order to justify the existence of this anomalous transaction; still, it cannot be denied that there is something inconsistent about the whole story. It is known that every local project are needed to be approved by the mayor before it is facilitated; in this instance though, what remains questionable is the fact that the project was not hindered although Mayor Lim said that he did not approved it. While the involved personnel were held liable for this transaction, the fact remains that there is a blind side to this story that remains to be addressed. The public is waiting for this side of the story to be clarified.
Some officials from the city of Manila were involved in yet another government anomaly. The Commission on Audit filed a notice of disallowance against 11 Manila officials after deficiencies on the vouchers were found during the auditing process. The voucher contained the alleged consultancy fees of 21 fictitious consultants, who purportedly contracted to work for the office of the Mayor. Mayor Alfredo Lim claimed that he did not sign any contract concerning the appointment of the said consultants.
-Julius Arante
The Commission on Audit filed a two-page notice of disallowance last October 29, 2009 against some of the government officials in the city of Manila. The notice was filed after it was found that the claims for the consultancy payment of the 21 consultants, who were supposedly appointed to work at the office of the mayor, were deficient. However, based from the results of the audit prepared by Domingo C. Bocalan Jr., State Auditor IV, the submitted vouchers or payrolls for the period covering July1, 2007 to June 30, 2009 for alleged contracted services were void and that the supposed 21 consultants were fictitious employees. This under-the-table transaction have cost the city P5,058,000.00.
The notice of disallowance was filed soon after Mayor Alfredo Lim said in his affidavit that he did not have any knowledge, whatsoever, of the said transaction, and that he never authorized the purported contracted services to take place. The Mayor also added that he never signed any contract related to the purported services nor did he granted the payment for the supposed 21 consultants. Lim's claims in his affidavit were backed up by three of his trusted staff. The three office staff who supported the mayor's statement were Rowena Senatin, Helen Natividad and Arturo Mijares.
In their affidavit, the three staff pointed out that the names of the 21 consultants in the payrolls submitted to them were not appointed by the mayor to work in his office. The three also confirmed that the consultants were fictitious. This particular government anomaly is just one of the corrupt practices plaguing Manila's local government. Nonetheless, like any other forms of illegal activities, the transaction was done in order to benefit the people involved.
The notice given by the Commission on Audit named 11 officials from the accounting and property division of Manila. They were Pacifico Lagramada, Yolanda Ignacio, Marleen Young, Gloria Quilantang, Vicky Valientes, Erlinda Marteja, Philip Cabalun II, Cherry Chan, Alicia Moscaya, Fritz Noel Borres, and Rodelio Leyson. The said individuals were responsible for facilitating the payment of the fictitious 21 consultants worth P5,058,000.00 without rendering actual services. Mayor Alfredo Lim and the affidavit of his staffs attested the involvement of the said personnel.
The involved personnel from the accounting and property division of the city of Manila were recommended by Bocolan, in his notice of disallowance, to return the full amount of P5,058,000.00. The said amount was representative of the payment of salaries of the fictitious consultants, who were supposedly contracted by the city mayor. The notice of disallowance given by the Commission on Audit is final and executory under the law, and can only be appealed by the involved participants in the anomalous transaction within six months from the day the notice was filed. Inability to comply to the notice will give the Commission on Audit the power to resort to necessary actions to enforce proper penalties.
Although Mayor Alfredo Lim, in his affidavit, served as the way to expose this particular corrupt activity, it appears that something in this picture does not coordinate. The only question that needs to be answered in this incident is how did the transaction came to fruition if Mayor Lim did not approve it in the first place? While there may have been people held liable for this transaction, the above question is a simple inquiry to further shed light on how the transaction was carried out. This side of the story is something that needs to be clarified to the public.
The Commission on Audit filed a notice of disallowance against some of the officials from the local government of the city of Manila. The notice was given as a response to the government anomaly that concerns the payment of P5,058,000.00 among the fictitious 21 consultants who were allegedly contracted to work for the office of Mayor Alfredo Lim. The Commission on Audit recommended the officials to refund the full amount as a means to settle the issue.
-Julius Arante
Mayor Alfredo Lim is once again placed under public scrutiny after graft charges were filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman last April 8, 2010. Lim, along with other Manila officials were said to falsified receipts worth P221, 250.00 in order to carry out a non-existent local affair to acquire money. Reynaldo L. Bagatsing, Lim's former legal adviser, was the one who filed the lawsuit. In his sworn affidavit, Bagatsing requested for the Ombudsman to place the officials under preventive suspension.
Seven officials of the city of Manila were also included in Bagatsing's testimony for their role in the anomaly. They are Atty. Rafaelito M. Garayblas, Atty. Analyn T. Marcelo-Buan, Maria Lourdes R. Malulu, Cherry Chao, Cecilia V. Sican, Leanie S. Sanding, and Vicky R. Valientes. Accordingly, in his sworn statement, Bagatsing pointed out that Lim and the said officials' falsified the receipts issued by Angel's Burger House. The plaintiff also said that the Manila officials conspired to make it appear that the Barangay Bureau held a city wide assembly called Barangay Peace Keeping Action Team last August 27, 2009, which Bagatsing have affirmed as a non-existent affair.
Bagatsing outlined in his complaint how this Manila government anomaly came into fruition. Accordingly, during the reimbursement process, the officials allegedly turn in a voucher indicating that 5,500 pieces of cheeseburgers were consumed by the participants in the fabricated assembly. What truly bothered the complainant was the fact that such small burger outlet is not capable of producing 5, 500 cheeseburgers in one day, when in reality such delivery could have taken the said burger joint 15 days to complete. To further reinforce his allegations, Bagatsing was able to acquire the inspection report filed on October 19, 2009 by the officials that was certified by Cecilia V. Sican, Inspector of the City General Services Office (CGSO), which apparently demonstrated that the original receipts that are numbered 0066 and 0067 were falsified to appear as 0214 and 0215.
Due to the forged documents presented by the officials to the city treasurer of Manila during the reimbursement process, they were able to obtain P221, 250.00. All the evidences gathered by the complainant apparently shows that the officials violated articles 217 and 171 of the revised penal code or the malversation of public funds property and falsification by public officer, employee or notary or ecclesiastical minister respectively. Likewise, involved officials in this alleged Manila government anomaly failed to adhere to the required bidding process, making them liable for the violation of Section 367 of Republic Act. No. 7160 (R.A. 7160). It should be noted that the P221, 250.00 worth of reimbursement in this transaction exceeded the required amount stated under Section 367 of R.A. 7160, which particularly identified that the procurement of supplies should not exceed the amount of P 150, 000.00 for any items within a month for each of local unit, may it be first or second class cities within the Manila area.
Bagatsing included Mayor Alfredo Lim in his complaint as he was represented in the said illegal transaction by his secretary Rafaelito Garayblas. Garayblas notably signed the falsified documents with Lim's consent, which in turn gives the Manila officials the permission to facilitate the anomalous activities. Lim may not have directly signed the said documents, but it must be taken into account that the authorization of his secretary also means that he unscrupulous act was done with his consent. On a similar note, considering that Garayblas is Lim's secretary, it is then agreeable that he was informed about the transaction in the first place.
With the election just around the corner, political candidates are vigilant about their actions so as not get themselves involved with illegal activities. Considering that Mayor Alfredo Lim has long been a part of Manila's local government, this just means that the people trust his leadership. However, the alleged illegal activity that he and his allies were involved with can affect the trust that the people have given him. It is therefore an imperative for these officials to clarify this issue so as not to tarnish the reputations that they have taken care off for a long time.
Mayor Alfredo Lim, together with seven other Manila officials, was allegedly involved in another Manila government anomaly that is centered on the falsification and malversation of documents. Lim's former legal counsel, Reynaldo Bagatsing filed the lawsuit before the Ombudsman after he was able to secure evidences to support his claim about the involvement of the said officials and Angel's Burger House.
-Julius Arante
Illegal gambling has once again become rampant in this poverty-stricken city. The Manila Jueteng Problem is still alive and evident in the arrests of several people involved in the said illegal form of gambling. Manila mayor Alfredo Lim along MPD director Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay promised that they will rid the city of illegal jueteng operators. Instead, there are intelligence reports that illegal jueteng operators are currently operating in the city.
The recent arrests of a number of people are clear evidences that the once eradicated Manila Jueteng Problem is still thriving. One of the main reasons why this illegal gambling problem has resurfaced is that police officers and city officials are involved in this trade. This illegal numbers game is believed to possess the blessing of unscrupulous police and city hall officials. In return for the protection extended, these jueteng protectors are bribed with a portion of the profits generated from this illegal activity.
The inability of the police force to prosecute these people involved in Jueteng has further escalated the Manila Jueteng Problem. Many people who are actively participating in this illegal activity were able to avoid arrests due to the influence of higher police officials and city hall personnel including the Mayor of Manila.Moreover, jueteng operators in the city have discovered a way to elude arresting police officials. Investigations showed jueteng lords in the city operate in a 'kangaroo' style or transfer from one place to another to escape detection.
Jueteng operators in the city have also found a sense of resiliency in how to cover up their illegal operations.To deceit and mislead the city's law enforcers, these jueteng collectors pretend they are soliciting bets for the government-sponsored EZ-2 lotto. Jueteng is like EZ-2 which is a legal numbers game launched by the government through the PCSO. Jueteng and EZ-2 both involved a winning two-number combination where bettors place their bets.
The only thing that separates the two is that jueteng is drawn secretly and exists as an underground transaction. It is believed that the winning combination in jueteng is handpicked by the operator. Jueteng operators usually pick choose combinations with fewer bets to accumulate bigger profits.Meanwhile, EZ-2 is legal and drawn live on TV.
Unless the city government under Mayor Alfredo Lim and Manila Police Department end their involvement in this kind of illegal activity; the Manila Jueteng Problem will remain unaddressed. If Mayor Lim and Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay are serious in ridding the city of this kind of illegal activity, their action must start within their ranks. They should be hunting down protectors and big time jueteng lords instead of arresting small bet collectors.Moreover, the city government must also look into the bigger picture and address the real cause why this illegal numbers game even exists.
The inability of the police force and Mayor of Manila Alfredo Lim to bring those people involved in Jueteng has further aggravated the problem. The reported involvement of police and city halls officials in the illegal activity has made it impossible to address this problem. Moreover, there are other reasons why the Manila jueteng problem has once again resurfaced as apparent in the arrests of several people involved in the said illegal form of gambling.
-Julius Arante
