An attempt to investigate into the P20-million unliquidated cash advances at City Hall could just end up foiled by administration bloc councilors even with mounting criticisms for transparency of the city government’s financial transactions.
This is according to City Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso saying that this is another attempt to cover-up the probe on the questioned unliquidated cash advances of city officials and employees.
During last Friday’s session, there was no discussion on the P20 million unliquidated cash advances. According to Veloso, he expects the city council’s majority, allied with the city mayor, to take inquiries on the cash advances into “diversionary turns” until the public gets tired of discussing about the issue.
The unliquidated cash advances at City Hall as of the 2008 year-end audit showed that P7.1 million belongs to the “Intelligence and Confidential Expenses” of the office of the city mayor.
City Mayor Dan Lim and eight other city officials are currently facing charges at the Visayas Ombudsman for failure to liquidate cash advances and violations of the code of conduct and ethical standards of public officials and employees.
The other complaint, for violation of Republic Act 6713, the code of conduct and ethical standards of government officials and employees.
