Five employees of the Negros Occidental Provincial Treasurer's Office who have incurred cash shortages can no longer be located and, along with three others, will be charged criminally and administratively for misappropriation of public funds.

Gov. Joseph Marañon yesterday said the five who have been Absent without Leave have unpaid cash shortages totaling P505,906.53.

They are Silvestra Bocol with an unpaid cash collection shortage of P294,466.48, Jasmin Fegidero - P35,618, Mariam Puentespina - P40,465.65, Joseph Cabarles - P86,299.39 and Felicito Gonzales - P48,957.01.

The three employees of the treasurer's office who paid for their cash shortages and have not gone AWOL are Ma. Sheila Lopez - P161,830.85, Charlotte Maligmat - P153,242 and Nenette Escrada - P59, 510.79.

Jose Ma. Valencia, Marañon's chief of staff, said charges of misappropriation of public funds will be filed against all eight but the act of paying up of the three will be a mitigating circumstance that could mean a lesser penalty.

He also said the Governor's Office will coordinate with the Commission on Audit in the filing of charges within the week so that there will be no duplication.

Valencia said the treasurer's office conducts a daily cash count of collections of payments made for taxes and permits at 3 p.m. and their investigation shows that the shortages were incurred from 3 to 5 p.m.

He said measures have been taken to prevent such cash shortages from occurring again, but no sanctions have been imposed on the provincial treasurer for their occurrence.*CPG

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