BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO City – The supposed 15-day investigation on the alleged falsification of vouchers covering P1.65-million worth of transactions at the Iloilo provincial capitol has lapsed uncompleted, beyond its August 26 target.
Atty. Suzette Mamon, head of the investigating team, said Diomar Trading, the supplier under investigation, requested for five more days to submit its subscribed affidavit.
“We granted the request in line with due process,” said Mamon.
The supplier has until Sept. 1 to submit.
The investigating team will convene again on Sept. 2 for clarificatory questions.
“Our next move will depend on the declaration of the supplier,” said Mamon.
The provincial government was supposed to pay only P1,482,034.27 for hospital supplies and equipment it ordered but the Provincial Treasurer’s Office issued a check for more than the amount due – P1,652,379.48 – resulting to a loss of P170,345.21.
It was during the encoding of the paid vouchers to Diomar Trading that erasures were noticed, according to Provincial Accountant Lyd Tupas.
The deductions for the retention money were substituted with surety bond resulting to a higher net amount due to the supplier.
Another reason Mamon cited for the delay in their investigation was the workload in terms of transcription of stenographic notes, consolidating exhibits and marking of evidences which all form parts of the record.
However, Mamon said the investigation is already 80 percent complete and they may come up with recommendation on the second week of September.
“We are narrowing in on two offices,” said Mamon without revealing what offices she was referring to.
Mamon said they had investigated around 20 persons already, including permanent employees and job hires from offices of the administrator, governor, accountant and treasurer./PN
