Graft raps filed vs Buguias mayor, 3 department heads

By Larry Madarang

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet—Graft charges were filed against Buguias town mayor Felicino Bayacsan and three other department heads for misuse of funds by the municipal council headed by BuguiasVice Mayor Melchor Diclas recently.

The complaint was filed on Nov. 20, at the Office of the Ombudsman in Manila based on the 2007 Commission on Audit report.

Aside from Bayacsan, Editha Daoiuis, municipal budget officer; Marcelino Endi, municipal accountant; and Anacieta Suyot, municipal treasurer were also named in the complaint.

Diclas, and municipal councilors Julius Amos, Vicente Kitongan, Francisco Lesino, Dione Baucas, Samson Wayan, Basilio Tumpap, Jr., Daniel Iguado, Francis Wilson, and Arsebino Talabis filed the charge of “malversation of public funds” against Bayacsan, Daoauis, Endi and Suyot a day after the council unanimously approved a resolution of complaints against the mayor and the three department heads for “malversation of public funds.”

The resolution stated “under the annual audit report for fiscal year 2007, it would be gleaned that there is rampant irregularity in the disbursement of the general funds”.

The resolution said municipal council as a whole checked with the Land Bank of the Philippines (the depository band of Buguias), the bank statement of the municipal government and discovered the alleged presence of juggling of funds from the trust fund to general fund without the presence of an appropriation ordinance or resolution from the municipal council.

According to the complainants, “appropriated funds were not used for the specific purpose”.

Among the summary of significant findings and recommendations of the office of the provincial auditor signed by Zosimo Solano Jr.: “The municipal government spent the entire amount of P6734, 567.00 which was allocated for its annual development plan for maintenance and other operating expenses contrary to the provisions of Dept. of Interior and Local Government-Department of Bedget and Management joint memo-circular no. 1 s 2005.”

“A review of the expenditures per responsibility center for 20% Municipal Development Plan showed that the total of P4,936,668.08 was spent for personal services as well as maintenance and other operating expenses. As a result, the 20% annual development plan failed to achieve the physical developments and livelihood programs which the DILG-DBM circular intends each local government unit to implement for the benefit of its constituents”, the report stated.

Buguias is a third class municipality in Benguet with an annual budget of P45.5 million.