Ilocos Norte prov’l board steps up probe on LC’s missing P85M

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

LAOAG CITY—Members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan here is set to conduct its own “deeper investigation”, following the Laoag City government officials’ failure to present a clear measure, assuring taxpayers here that the loss of over Php 85 million will not happen again and let those behind it be penalized.

On August 22, the Laoag City council led by vice mayor Michael Fariñas was invited to the provincial board. However only three neophyte councilors appeared: Laoag councilors Handy Lao, Roque Benjamin Ablan and Justine Clarence Chua. The three councilors were not yet part of the Laoag council when the funds went missing, hence they were excused by the board.

In explaining their non-appearance, Mr. Fariñas sent a letter dated August 18

expressing the city council’s inability to attend the committee hearing saying, the sanggunian “has done what it needs to do” and the request to investigate “has been accomplished.”

Earlier, City Mayor Chevylle Fariñas and her husband, former Mayor and now Vice Mayor Michael were requested by the same body to both take a leave of absence while the Commission on Audit and the Bureau of Local Government Finance are conducting separate investigations. Both refused to do so, citing they have nothing to do with the missing funds.

“If they are really willing to shed light on the issue, they should come and attend the hearing,” said SP member Vicentito “Toto” M. Lazo who earlier expressed his dismay through a privilege speech the loss of over the P85 million that reportedly went unnoticed by its top executives since 2008.

As this developed, SP member Da Vinci M. Crisostomo, in his capacity as chair of the committee on laws, introduced some amendments to Draft Resolution No. 2016-07-005 sponsored earlier by Mr. Lazo. The amended draft calls for the SP to conduct its own legislative inquiry as to what really transpired regarding the loss of multi-million funds from the coffers of the city government and the absconding of its treasurer Ma. Elena Asuncion.

Mr. Crisostomo clarified the SP investigation, which hopes to invite members of the local finance committee of Laoag is meant specifically to enact a measure to protect taxpayers’ money and ensure that the same irregularity will not happen again among the 21 municipalities and 2 cities of Ilocos Norte in the future.

Apart from the SP investigation, the Office of the Ombudsman is also looking into the loss of the missing funds of the Laoag government.

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