Liloan vice mayor faces admin raps
AN administrative complaint was filed against Liloan Vice Mayor Lucelito Pilapil after he allegedly failed to liquidate cash advances and did not attend the events for which the tour spent the amounts.
The vice mayor allegedly has other questionable unliquidated cash advances “amounting to a whopping P132,942.20 for amounts received by him as far back as the year 2008.”
Five Sangguniang Bayan (SB) members in Liloan filed the complaint before the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) last week.
In their complaint, Councilors Thelma Jordan, Lurgio Cañete, Vi- dal Cañete, Edna Cala and Francisco Comendador III accused Pilapil of grave abuse of authority, grave misconduct, gross negligence, serious dishonesty, violations of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service.
Settled
In a text message, Pilapil said he had already settled his cash advances.
“Even one centavo, I don’t have cash advances in Liloan ug pwede na i- check ni bisa’g kinsa tomorrow morning, 8 a.m., sa (and
anyone can check that at the) Accounting and Treasurer’s Office,” Pilapil said yesterday.
The 11-page complaint was received by the Office of the Provincial Secretary last Dec. 14.
According to the complaint, the Office of the Sangguniang Bayan received an invitation last July 8, 2015 from the 2nd Philippine Councilors League (PCL) Credit Cooperative to attend the 2nd PCL Credit Cooperative National Summit and General Assembly on Aug. 20, 21 and 22 in Bacolod City.
Approved
Liloan Mayor Vincent Franco “Duke” Frasco approved a request authority to travel for the said dates of the event.
However, the councilors said Pilapil requested and approved his own Itinerary to Travel for the summit.
The vice mayor’s traveling expenses amounted to P13,440 for his per diem, registration fees and incidental expenses.
Pilapil allegedly autho- rized the payment for his own cash advance, accomplished and signed an Obligation Request for such purpose, and approved and signed a disbursement voucher in his own name.
A check dated Aug. 14 was released to Pilapil, which he encashed last Aug. 24.
Moreover, Pilapil represented that he and the councilors would use the SuroySuroy Bus of Liloan. The payment for the freight and shipping charges for the bus was with the vice mayor.
Jordan, Lurgio, Vidal, Cala and Comendador said Pilapil did not show up on the day of the departure and only sent a Hi-Ace Van instead of the Suroy-Suroy Bus.
They said Pilapil also did not send the money intended for freight and shipping charges.
The SB received another invitation to attend the 3rd Quaterly PCL National BoardNational Executive Officers Meeting for 2015 and 6th Series of Continuing Local Legislative Education Program (CLLEP) on Sept. 9 in Boracay Island, Aklan.
However, none of the SB members were able to attend due to conflict schedules.
Pilapil allegedly approved his Itinerary of Travel for the said event amounting to P23,100.
Still, Pilapil failed to attend the event.
“Vice Mayor Pilapil misrepresented that he would attend the PCL Board and CLLEP meeting, and fraudulently claimed cash advances therefor, which he failed to immediately return or liquidate,” the complaint read.
In return, Pilapil accused Frasco behind the complaint filed.
“Klaro man na kaayo nga gisugo na sila ni mayor aron kunuhay bawos sa akong complaint sad ni mayor tua na sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan (It obvious that the mayor told them to file the complaint as revenge to the complaint I filed against mayor before the PB),” the vice mayor said.
Sought for comment, Frasco said it was clearly stated who are the complainants.
“As I understand, the complaints involve very serious allegations of misappropriation of public funds by Vice Mayor Pilapil,” Frasco added.
Pilapil accused the SB members who filed the complaint, especially Lurgio, Jordan, Comendador and Cala, are the ones who have big amount of unliquidated cash advances according to the Accounting Office.