City Mayor Dan Neri Lim went to town yesterday to shot down alleged claims of his favorite tormentor that highlighted a banner story citing improprieties in the disbursement of cash advances. The city mayor was reacting to a headline of the Bohol Chronicle last Sunday that zeroed in on alleged unliquidated cash advances which has since ballooned to P20 million. Speaking during his weekly radio program over Station DYTR “Ang Mayor sa Dakbayan”, Mayor Lim minced on words in denying the accusations. The running word war between two powerful forces—Mayor Lim and DYRD-Bohol Chronicle combine, became a weekly grist of Tagbilaran's entertainment mill where the trading of verbal punches coming in on a daily basis.
Mayor Lim used his early morning radio program to ventilate his defenses against insinuations from the print sister of the media powerhouse. On weeks on end, Mayor Lim became the favorite whipping boy of the twin media company. Through its news items and editorials and commentaries in block time radio programs., Mayor Lim was pilloried left and right. The touch and go affair has been going on for months and there seemed to be no end in sight as the intensity of their verbal combat is getting heated everyday. Yesterday's edition of the mayor's radio program was no better. As if taking the bull by the horn, Mayor Lim personally led the counter attack with last Sunday's banner story as the object of verbal fire. Not only was the media enterprise using the power of the written word, the media giant was also using the power of its “attack dogs” who are block time radio announcers. But Mayor Lim refused to be cowed by block timers masquerading as commentators. Calling them “basureros” or garbage men., Lim said these people parroted the kind of thrash their masters have ordered them to dish out.
MAIN STORY
Last Sunday's main story of the Chronicle caricatured city hall officials and employees led by Mayor Lim as having incurred cash advances which remain unliquidated by the end of 2008 to the tune of P20 million. Citing a Commission on Audit Report, the same story even quoted COA Regional Director as having stated in the audit report that starting January 2009, city officials and employees will no longer be granted cash advances for travel. Pointing out that it was a case of wrong attribution, Mayor Lim chided the media outfit of putting words into the mouth of the news source, in this case the COA regional director. He said the statement attributed to Director Aguilar was a case of journalism malpractice. The statement in question was the one that stated “due to the huge amount of cash advances, COA Regional Director Delfin Aguilar stated in the Audit Report that starting January 2009, city officials and employees will no longer be granted cash advances for travel”. Dismissing that statement as fabrication, Mayor Lim corrected the report that there was no such remarks in the Audit Report. He said attributing statement to others without their knowledge was malicious and put the person in a bad light. The city mayor added in the case of the COA official, the media concern made it appear that the director did not know his job by imputing statements to him that are not legally tenable. He said, in the first place, it was not within the authority of the director to stop the practice of providing cash advances for expenses which was a regular operating procedure for it was allowed by law and COA do not have operational control, over the city government. If so, then what is the truth?
TWISTED FACTS
Citing that the Chronicle was a purveyor of twisted facts, Mayor Lim said it was false for the media entity in reporting that in “ issuing the ban on travel cash advances, COA guidelines state that “travels can only be made at the expense of concerned official or employee, subject for reimbursement, the audit report cited. State auditors also required the liquidation of unsettled cash advances and receivables. Mayor Lim said the truth was that without the prodding of anyone including the COA, the mayor exercised operational control unilaterally ordered the stopping of the practice of granting cash advances. Describing the city mayor's action, the Audit Report states: “Furthermore, starting January 2009, officials and employees will be required to settle their unliquidated cash advances and other receivables. They will also travel at their own expenses subject to reimbursement, since cash advance for this purpose will no longer be granted, but if warranted, only in exceptional cases”.
In rebutting the media report, the city mayor said what was reported was the COA issued the travel ban on cash advances instead of saying that it was the directive of the city mayor. At the same time, Mayor Lim also took exception to the published report that his unliquidated cash advance for intelligence and confidential expenses as of Dec.31,2008 did not mention the disclosure in the COA report that as of February 24, 2009, the office of the chairman of COA has sent Credit Advice No. 2009-02-0127 to the city mayor clearing and approving the liquidation of mentioned cash advances. The city mayor also cited the erroneous report regarding its failure to disclose that the confidential and intelligence expenses of the city government has been approved and authorized by the Sangguniang Panglungsud through Ordinance No. 08-01 of which provides for the standards in which such funds could be used. He cited Appropriation Ordinance No. 08-01 which was enacted en masse by the SP on January 22, 2008 .
MISLEADING REPORT
Another misleading report purveyed by Lim's sworn enemy was the suggested city hall irregularity. In debunking this allegation, Lim said that nowhere in the COA report certifying alleged impropriety in the handling of city hall funds. What the report failed to mention was the audit certification of the COA report which stated. ”.the financial statements present fairly, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles, the financial position of the City of Tagbilaran as of December 31,2008 and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended”.
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