ILOILO City – Financial issues hounding the Iloilo City Government Employees Multipurpose Cooperative may lead to the filing of charges.
Citing the Cooperative Law, Atty. Joseph Edward Areño of the Ad hoc Committee looking into the issues said, “There are penal sanctions which are imprisonment and also the Revised Penal Code which is large-scale estafa. Pwede sila ma-file-an.”
Based on the records they have obtained, he said outstanding loans in the cooperative have roughly reached P55.8 million and as of Aug. 3 past dues reached P18.3 million.
Areño also said there were those allowed to have multiple loans.
“Hopefully, we will get to the bottom of everything then we will have to ask them to answer, otherwise there will be cases to be filed,” he said.
There was a clear disregard of existing policies on loan applications, fund disbursements and repayments, according to Councilor Romel Duron.
He described the ongoing controversy involving millions of pesos of the cooperative as a “large-scale anomaly”.
There was manipulation if not fabrication to secure loans, he said in a privilege speech during the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s regular session yesterday.
Duron noted 18 borrowers with the highest loans but mostly with payment delinquencies.
“Why did this happen?…Almost every week may ara gani may loan sa aga, may loan sa hapon. What kind of management is that,” Duron told the council.
As to the due payments, Areño said they will have to get the record from the accounting office yet and they need to have it checked and rechecked first.
On the other hand, Councilor Alan Zaldivar who was one of the names mentioned by Duron with loans in the cooperative, stood up after the latter’s privilege speech and emotionally explained his side.
With over P1-million loan, he stressed, “Wala ako di ya nagkwa sang kwarta sang cooperative.”
He also clarified that he is religiously paying his loan through salary deduction and based on record, he is deemed a “member in good standing.”
He further explained that he needed to borrow money as “it was badly needed” for the hospitalization of his brother.
“I gave my full trust and confidence sa cooperative nga halungan lang nila ang akon nga record at the same time halungan man nila ang akon nga ngalan. In good faith naghulam ako it’s because I needed it badly,” he said.
Duron clarified that it was not his intention to “name shame”.
“There is no shame campaign. We are informing the people nga they have liberty and I will even encourage that criminal cases be filed against them, not for the purpose nga anhon sila kundi para aregluhon nila ila utang, para mabuhi ang cooperative. Indi ta gusto nga ma-destroy ang cooperative,” Duron explained during a sideline interview.
Earlier, Mayor Jerry P. Treñas warned that the city government will be filing cases against officers and members of the cooperative who have not paid their loans.
All officers of the cooperative are currently suspended as the controversies surrounding the cooperative’s financial status are being investigated.
With their suspension, an interim board took over so that loan payments will be collected.
“There is an interim board to make sure nga ma-preserve ang coop kag masukot ang dapat sukton,” said Treñas.
The city mayor said he was surprised to know that based on the memorandum of agreement signed by the cooperative, Land Bank of the Philippines and the city government, it is the city government that will collect the loan payments.
Aside from filing of cases, the city mayor stressed the city government will take whatever is necessary so that collections will be made./PN
