The City of Sagay in Negros Occidental has coordinated with concerned national government agencies in taking steps to hold City Treasurer Juvy Pinongan accountable for the alleged missing PHP7.3 million Health Emergency Allowance (HEA) funds.
As of Thursday, the city government has been awaiting representatives of the Commission on Audit (COA) to arrive and witness the opening of the City Treasurer’s Office vault as part of the audit procedure after it has already been sealed and secured.
In a statement, Mayor Narciso Javelosa Jr. said they are taking “decisive action to investigate the missing HEA funds.”
“We are working closely with the Civil Service Commission, Commission on Audit, and Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) to expedite this investigation,” he added.
The amount, which Pinongan failed to release, was intended for the city’s 276 eligible health care workers who served as frontliners during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
Javelosa earlier said that Pinongan initially distributed PHP22 million from Aug. 19 to 22 but failed to release the remaining PHP7.3 million.
“The City Legal Office (CLO) is preparing an affidavit of complaint against City Treasurer Juvy Pinongan to be endorsed to the BLGF,” he said.
The mayor said the city government would endorse the case for appropriate action to the BLGF, which has jurisdiction over the operations of the City Treasurer's Office.
“The BLGF will oversee the proceedings, ensuring a fair and transparent resolution. The CLO is carrying out an exhaustive investigation requiring time to ensure facts and data are verified,” he added.
Javelosa said he has also received a report from the City Council’s committee on finance, highlighting the legislative body’s commitment to closely monitor the ongoing investigation.
“In the light of the committee findings, a resolution will be issued urging our office to hasten the process, and we are fully committed to resolving this issue swiftly,” he said. (PNA)
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