The Negros Occidental Provincial Legal Office Investigation Team will summon the employees of the Provincial Treasurer's Office who allegedly incurred shortages in their cash collections to ask them to subscribe their answers to the complaint against them.

Jose Maria Valencia, chief of staff of Gov. Joseph Marañon, yesterday said he instructed the Investigation Team, headed by legal officer IV Ernie Magaspag, to have the employees subscribe their answers so the PLO lawyers could proceed with their investigation and submit their recommendations to the governor.

Joining Magaspag in investigating the employees are legal officers IV York Ylosorio and Jona Villanueva-Rubica. All the nine employees involved have been relieved of their duties as collectors, Valencia said, but it is the Investigation Team will recommend if they should be placed under preventive suspension pending administrative and criminal action.

Valencia said the primary task of the investigation is to recover the amount used by the employees. He said, however, that this will be without prejudice to the criminal cases that may be filed against the employees.

The employees were notified of the governor's earlier memorandum asking them to answer the complaint and to restore the amount involved, the PLO lawyers said.

In their initial report to the governor, the Investigation Team said that as of Dec. 31, 2005, revenue collections officer I Sheila Lopez and clerk II Nenette Escarda have already restored their cash shortage of P161,830.85 and 59,510.79, respectively.

Revenue collection clerk II Jasmin Fegidero, who has a shortage of P51,000, has partially paid P14,382; licensing inspector II Charlotte Maligmat, P153, 242 (shortage), P19,689 (partial payment); contractual clerk Amparo Fuentespina, P52,565.65 (shortage), P7,000 (partial payment); clerk III Silvestra Bocol, P296,626.48 (shortage), P2,160 (partial payment); administrative officer II Felicito Gonzales, P68,446 (shortage), P14,488.99 (partial payment); and storekeeper II Joseph Cabarles, P100,052.25 (shortage), P8,739.49 (partial payment).

Administrative officer I Tomas del Rosario has not yet paid any amount.

Gonzales and Cabarles admitted during the investigation that they diverted the funds in their possession "due to pressing and urgent family needs and vowed to return the amount the soonest possible time."

One other employee allegedly involved, Elvira Pereira, a former clerk of Don Salvador Benedicto District Hospital in La Carlota City, is no longer in government service and is reported to have been cleared of accountabilities, the report of the Investigation Team said.

A certain Salome Adan, who is also implicated, is not connected with the Province of Negros Occidental, the report added.*NLG

back to top