Before irate Sangguniang Kabataan members lynched her to pieces for her failure to render a financial accounting of P20 million SK fund, the national president of the youth organization asked for understanding before she is subjected to vicious black propaganda. National SK federation president Jane Censoria Cajes was in the eye of a storm lately after she was lambasted by a group identifying itself as SK Pilipinas for her failure to render a financial report of SK money the youth organization received from different fund sources. In a statement posted in its Faceboook account, SK Pilipinas took to task Cajes' unyielding stance in its demand for accounting. The complainant aired its complaint as the SK held its national congress starting July 29 until yesterday in at least two venues, one of which was the Panglao Island Nature Resort.
SK Pilipinas whose derogatory statement was also e-mailed to all media outlets in Bohol waited in vain for Cajes to render the financial report during the last congress. Speaking in Pilipino, the complaining group said congress participants were frustrated to learn that Cajes did not make good her promise to render the financial audit of the funds it received. Apparently, Cajes promised to make the report in the 2nd congress after she was confronted why she was mum when issues about the financial standing of the organization were discussed. The financial report was awaited in the SK congress in Subic last year but Cajes was also tight lipped in that second national gathering. Came the 3rd one and the SK president still failed to make her report. The group was made to believe that Cajes would make the accounting in her speech before the congress participants at the PINR. However, as she made her speech, not even a hint regarding the status of the financial statement (FS) was made, the group observed. Citing transparency and accountability to drive home its point for the lady Cajes to render the accounting, the group said it's demand was very simple. It mentioned that for Cajes to clear her name, all she will do is publish even thru Facebook, the financial statement of the Sangguniang Kabataan National Federation (SKNF) including attachments.
The group demanded at least five FS from Cajes. They included the P10 million fund given in 2008 whose source was the Presidential Social Fund; another P10 million given in 2009 by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; FS of 2008 congress in Cebu; FS of the 2009 congress in Subic and FS of the national convention launching the Sama sama para sa Kalikasan which was held in Bohol last year. At the same time, the runaway SK group also asked for the truth regarding donations coming from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, Pagcor and Department of National Defense. Calling Cajes a hypocrite, the group said they were told when they asked for the FS to go to her office in Manila. The group said Cajes was trying to mislead the SK members when she said that the audit report is in her office. The group asked how can it be possible for SK members from the Visayas and Mindanao to go to her Manila office just to inquire about the status of the report. The group said the most opportune time for Cajes to make an accounting of the donated money could have been the recent 3 rd national SK congress which ended yesterday,
CAJES REPLY
In a two-page press statement, the young Cajes, daughter of former second district congressman Roberto Cajes fought back saying the malicious accusations spread thru e-mail were plain and simple political black propaganda. She suspected that the derogatory statement posted in Facebook was orchestrated by people or group who are desperately opting to start chaos, since the congress that has recently been concluded was a tremendous success. Answering the allegations hurled against her, Cajes said “I have never hidden anything from the people, most especially the SK sector which I am serving with all the best I can”. “I have been answering queries and issues regarding the FS since the campaign period last summer”, she said.
She continued: The financial; statements are ready. The SKNF has commissioned an external bookkeeper and auditor who checked, verified, and helped the federation to prepare the financial statements. All documents (receipts, invoices, vouchers) are intact and they are in proper order in the custody of our office. Cajes produced a certification from an accountant identified as Maria Annabelle Honculada certifying that the SKNF has commissioned her to perform bookkeeping and auditing/accounting of the funds of the federation and their respective disbursements and expenditures to constitute the Financial Statement of the federation. On the request that it be published in Facebook, Cajes said she's afraid the website is not the official venue to publish such official documents. ACCIDENT
An updated entry in the email by the complaining group to the media outlets mentioned about an accident on July 28 in Panglao. The report indicated that three SK officials from Cagayan met an accident including four women from Tagbilaran. According to the e-mail, they sustained injuries, and the incident was reported in the blotter of the Panglao police. The group said, the accident could not have happened if security arrangement was tight courtesy of organizers. But in her reply, Cajes said there was no such accident. She said what the complainant was referring to was another isolated incident not involcing the SK.
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