ILOILO – Retired Police Major Charlie Sustento Jr. has formally requested documents from the local government unit (LGU) of Dumangas regarding the operations of Dumangas Port, which is managed by the municipal government.
On Tuesday, August 27, Sustento personally submitted his request at the office of Mayor Braeden John Biron, Vice Mayor Ronaldo Golez, and Acting Municipal Treasurer Charity Evangelista.
Sustento’s inquiries were specifically on whether the LGU of Dumangas had remitted a total of P63,200,960, representing the share of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) in the terminal fees income from the port from April 2022 until June 30, 2024.
He personally submitted his letter request citing a recent statement by 4th District’s Cong. Ferjenel Biron that the public could scrutinize the income records of Dumangas Port at the Municipal Treasurer’s Office.
“Every month, the PPA manager sends a statement of account to them. Even the Port Manager has sent them statements several times, every month they receive them, but the LGU has not taken any action,” Sustento claimed.
In his letter citing the Freedom of Information (FOI) Program established by Executive Order No. 02 on July 23, 2016, Sustento emphasized the public’s constitutional right to information. He requested the following documents concerning the Dumangas Port operations:
* Bank Statements of the Special Trust Fund for the Dumangas Port operation, covering Calendar Year 2022 up to the present.
* Cash Examination Reports (Semestral) by State Auditors from the Commission on Audit on the accountable officers handling the Special Trust Funds.
* Statement of Income and Expenses for the Dumangas Port operations
* List of Projects funded by the LGU Dumangas’ share from the Port income/collection
* Certified True Copy of Balance Sheet as of July 31, 2024, under the Trust Fund Account or General Fund
* Certified True Copy of Subsidiary Ledger in favor of PPA, certified by the Municipal Accountant
* Other related Financial Statements and Reports in the operation of Dumangas Port
Additionally, Sustento has requested the following documents from Vice Mayor Golez:
* Certified True Copy of the Sangguniang Bayan Resolution allowing Mayor Braeden John Biron to enter and sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with PPA
* Certified True Copy of the Sangguniang Bayan Resolution regarding the opening of a Separate Account of the Special Account to the General Fund/Trust Fund from the Income/Shares of Dumangas LGU from Cargo Handling Service at Dumangas Port.
* Certified True Copy of the Sangguniang Bayan Resolution for Appropriation Ordinance No. 2024-03, authorizing the Supplemental Budget No. 3 for Calendar year 2024 of the Municipality of Dumangas, for the General Fund and for Special Account to the General Fund (Dumangas Port cargo handling operations).
* Certified True Copy of the Sangguniang Bayan Resolution permitting Mayor Biron to utilize the income/shares from Cargo Handling Services at Dumangas Port, along with the copy of Annual Investment Plan (AIP) and Comprehensive Development Plan of LHU Dumangas for 2022, 2023, and 2024.
* Any and all documents pertaining to the Income of Dumangas Port being utilized by LGU Dumangas
‘WALA NADULA’
In an official statement titled “Wala sang Kwarta nga Nadula”, Mayor Biron dismissed insinuations of corruption insofar as the operations and finances of the Dumangas Port were concerned.
Here’s the official statement in full:
“Ang share sang PPA kag banwa sang Dumangas ginaplastar sa isa ka Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). Ang MOA nga ini madugay na nga ginsumite sang banwa sa PPA para mapirmahan kag maimplementar. Naghatag naman ang Sangguniang Bayan sang isa ka Resolution nga nagahatag otoridad sa kay Mayor BJ Biron sa pagpirma sini nga MOA. Ugaling, wala pa sa gihapon napirmahan ang MOA sang PPA.
“Base sa Commission on Audit (COA) Rules and Regulations, makapagwa lamang sang kwarta ang isa ka government agency kung may legal basis. Samtang wala pa sang MOA nga napirmahan, wala sang basihan nga 35/65 sharing sa income sang Puerto.
“So far, ang share nga 35% sang PPA ginabanta indi magsobra Php 63 Million. Sa tion nga mapirmahan na ang MOA, ang banwa handa magpagwa sang nasambit nga kwarta sa gilayon.
“Wala sang may nadula nga kwarta. Ang banwa, sa liderato ni Mayor BJ Biron, gina tib-ong gid ang prinsipyo sang transparency kag accountability. Bukas ang libro pinansyal sang banwa sa bisan ano nga tion para sa tanan sa paglantaw kagpagsuri sini.
“Aton ginapangabay nga mag andam kita sa mga peke nga balita nga ang tuyo magpatalang sa publiko. Malapit na ang eleksyon, ang iban nagatuyo lang mangguba sang ngalan sang ila pangontra sa politika maski wala sang balasihan.
“Padayon kita sa gihapon sa pagsulong sa isa ka mainuswagon kag matinud-anon nga banwa.”/PN
