OCA MORENO'S CASH ADVANCES: AT LEAST P586M

By Kauban Ta Uy

Records at the City Hall would show that former Mayor Oscar S. Moreno himself drew massive cash advances during his term.

"This makes hypocritical and malicious the claims of the camp of the former to impute wrongdoing in the practice of cash advances at the local government unit. These cash advances fit the pattern of how Moreno mismanaged City Hall’s finances. Gihurot, giwaldas gyud ang kwarta sa syudad,” said Moreno’s former communications consultant BenCy Ellorin.

“We have so far unearthed over half-billion in cash advances to himself,” Ellorin added, referring to the former mayor.

In December 2021, Moreno allegedly made 14 cash advances amounting to P171,556,000; In December 31, 2020, Moreno allegedly drew 7 cash advances amounting to 125,500,000; and in December 2019, Moreno allegedly made 12 cash advances totaling P289,700,000, totalling to an alleged P586,756,000 in just three years, 2019, 2020 and 2021, out of Moreno’s three terms.

“On its face, it would seem that Moreno made drastic withdrawals of City Hall funds at the end of the year,” added Ellorin, noting the pattern on how Moreno allegedly mismanaged city hall finances.

Moreno reporredly left City Hall on June 30, 2022 with only P103 million left in the city’s coffers, and suppliers and contractors unpaid tomthentumemof P2.7 billion. The COA, in 2022, observed that Moreno left at least 126 unfinished projects amounting to 1.05 billion.

On the other hand, Kauban Ta Uy says that the so-called “expose” of former city administrator and ertswhilemwelgare officer Teddy Sabuga-a was unfair to employees of the local bureaucracy who are just doing their jobs.

"The practice of drawing cash advances for certain City Hall expenditures is normal. So why make a fuss about it? Perhaps it is out of frustration of the Moreno camp. But they should have spared the non-political employees in the issue,” said Ellorin, reiterating that Moreno's drawing of huge cash advances raises more questions," added Ellorin