BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO City – More than one person likely connived in the P1.65-million vouchers anomaly at the provincial capitol, according to Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr.
Yesterday, the governor recalled the executive order he issued for a fact-finding investigation and issued another one for a “full-blown investigation”.
“I want the investigating team to be fast, strict and unbiased,” said Defensor.
The Provincial Legal Office that was earlier tasked to conduct the fact-finding investigation will likely do the full-blown probe.
Defensor said he wanted the probe to end in 15 days but did not say when it would commence.
“Among other charges, the culprits may be charged with falsification of public documents which is a very serious offense,” said Defensor.
The alleged falsification of vouchers covered P1.65-million worth of transactions involving one supplier for drugs, medicines and apparatuses of district hospitals.
Defensor said he now has a clearer idea in so far as the paper trail of the transactions was concerned, and in which capitol offices the vouchers were possibly altered.
“It was somewhere in the treasurer’s office and the accounting office,” said the governor.
During a meeting with department heads on Monday afternoon, the governor revealed that one person admitted having “handled” the vouchers.
In a report to the governor, Provincial Accountant Lyd Tupas said the vouchers were altered, resulting to a higher net due to the supplier, Diomar Trading.
“These vouchers have discrepancies in the amount due as per our logbook compared to the amount on the check,” said Tupas.
It was during the encoding of the paid vouchers to Diomar Trading that erasures were noticed, said Tupas.
The deductions for the retention money were substituted with surety bond resulting to higher net amount due to the supplier.
The provincial government was supposed to pay only P1,482,034.27 for the hospital supplies and equipment it ordered but the Provincial Treasurer’s Office issued a check more than the amount due – P1,652,379.48 – resulting to a loss of P170,345.21.
The discrepancy angered Defensor who takes pride in making the provincial government graft-free since his return to the capitol in 2010.
He also issued Executive Order 148 suspending payments and award of contracts in favor of Diomar Trading pending the result of the investigation./PN
