Treasurer settles unliquidated cash

The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has cleared Medellin municipal treasurer Ruth Gillamac of charges that she failed to settle on time her cash advances amounting to P32,000 in 2008.

Katherine Arnoco Mahawan, graft investigation and prosecution officer, dismissed for lack of merit the charges against Gillamac after the latter settled her cash advances in full, albeit delayed, in August 2017.

“Good faith is manifested when respondent fully settled her account upon knowing her unliquidated cash advance,” said Mahawan in her resolution.

The ombudsman’s Field Investigation Office filed the complaint for malversation of public funds, misconduct, and neglect of duty against Gillamac before the Ombudsman-Visayas in 2017.

The ombudsman’s probe office said that Gillamac received P32,000 as cash advances to be used for the Barangay Human Rights Action Center training seminar last Oct. 29, 2008.

But Gillamac settled her cash advances only on Oct. 18, 2016, which the ombudsman said was beyond the 30 days period after she returned office.

Replying to the charges, Gillamac said the delay in the settling of her advances came after her predecessor erroneously recorded the amount under the mayor’s name.

Thus, Gillamac thought that the cash advance was not hers. When she learned that she had unsettled advances, Gillamac said she immediately paid it in full. /