Buguias municipal mayor Felecio Bayacsan last week said a Commission on Audit report that found violation in the town’s 2007 development annual fund use cannot be the basis of a complaint in the Ombudsman.

“COA reports are management tools meant to improve the operations of LGUs,” he said. “It is ignorance to use them as basis of complaints.”
Bayacsan said the COA had found violations in all 13 municipalities of Benguet as well as the provincial government itself. “All were made as
wake-up calls for the LGUs to improve their operation.”

He said that in terms of serious violations, it is COA itself that should be filing the complaint.

“If the Ombudsman will be asked to address complaints based on mere COA reports, then it will have no time to decide on most important cases,” he said.

He said that for the record, the municipal council had approved in a resolution how the municipal development fund for 2007 would be used.

“The finance committee merely implemented what was approved by the council,” he said. “Now, they are saying we are to blame.”

“The complaint is an attempt to put me in a bad light probably for some political gains,” said Bayacsan.

In a complaint filed before the Ombudsman, the municipal council chaired by vice mayor Melchor Diclas accused Bayacsan and three department heads comprising the finance committee of fund misuse, grave misconduct, and dishonesty.

The complaint was based on the COA report’s finding that the municipal government spent its annual development plan fund worth P6,734,567 for maintenance and other operating expenses.

Bayacsan said this was possible because of the resolution passed by the municipal council.

The COA, however, did not recommend the filing of charges against the finance committee or the municipal mayor. Aside from the mayor, the members of the committee includes budget officer Editha Dao-anis, accountant Marcelino Endi, and treasurer Anecita Suyat