Vizcaya officials quizzed on use of P130-M fund

By Charlie Lagasca

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya– Officials of Alfonso Castañeda town this province have yet to fully account for the municipality’s P130-million real property tax (RPT) share from last year’s operation of the Casecnan multi-purpose and irrigation project by a American firm.

The Commission on Audit (COA) said the municipal government of Alfonso Castañeda has yet to settle its expenditures from the multimillion-peso fund, contrary to claims by the town’s officials that they have resolved their disallowed transactions with state auditors.

In fact, COA auditor-in-charge Rey Acosta refused to issue a certification clearing the municipal government of its expenditures, which state auditors had disallowed due to supposed deficiencies and questionable spending.

“We readily issue notices of settlement if indeed those disallowed and suspended transactions have already been resolved. But the problem is, (they have failed to comply with) even the simplest deficiencies noted by the COA audit,” Acosta said.

COA’s finding of alleged fund misuse against the municipal government became the basis of the decision of Gov. Luisa Cuaresma to withhold the RPT share of Alfonso Castañeda for the third quarter last year.

For partly hosting the Casecnan project of US firm California Energy, Alfonso Castañeda is entitled to receive quarterly RPT share, and for the third quarter last year, it was expected to receive some P50 million.     

Cuaresma, however, withheld the release of the town’s RPT share unless the COA would issue a certification clearing the town officials of alleged misspending.

Earlier this month, some 200 placard-bearing residents and municipal employees of Alfonso Castañeda picketed the capitol compound here to press Cuaresma to release their town’s RPT share.

The rallyists, who were transported by municipal government vehicles all the way from the mountain town to the capital, failed to meet Cuaresma though.

Cuaresma said she cannot simply ignore the town’s apparent misuse of funds by allowing it “to further recklessly spend” hard-earned taxes “without at least having an idea as to how the previous taxes” had been utilized.

“I will be remiss in my duties if I will turn a blind eye to the seeming lack of care in the manner by which the (town) utilizes these taxes which we have worked long and hard to collect,” said Cuaresma in her letter to Alfonso Castañeda Mayor Jerry Pasigian.