Mindanaotoday.com | Oro city councilors clash over ‘ayuda’ issue anew
By: Franck Dick Rosete
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – “I am done with my part.”
This was emphasized by Councilor James Judith II, chairman of the ad hoc committee of the city council here after he submitted his report on Monday, Feb. 27, pertaining to the reinvestigation of the special Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) “ayuda” (assistance) in this city.
Judith did not personally divulge the names of the former officials who were accordingly responsible for the alleged anomaly in the distribution as he said it could be politicized and weaponized.
But based on the findings from the report he created, the three former officials include former city mayor Oscar Moreno, former acting city administrator Teodoro Sabuga-a Jr. and former City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) executive overseer Michael Christopher Fabello.
Moreno’s involvement, according to the report, was conveniently “low-key” but it said that he had full control and supervision over the two former officials.
“In short, just like the doctrine of qualified political agency but in the local level, the actions taken by Mr. Sabuga-a (as well as Mr. Fabello) in the performance of his official duties are deemed the acts of the mayor unless the mayor himself disapprove such acts,” the findings from the committee report said.
It can be recalled that after Judith examined the payout list from the CSWDO, he said he saw anomalies as many beneficiaries’ names from different barangays were almost similar with a one letter difference either in their first, middle or family names.
There were only four out of the 80 barangays in the city included in the presentation for the double entry issue based on the report. These include the barangays of Nazareth, Balulang, Bugo and Canitoan.
However, the report said the issue was consistent to the other barangays except to the Barangays 1-40 which have a small number of recipients and are not difficult to check and verify.
The report also has the names of two residents in the Barangays of Patag and Kauswagan respectively, where they executed an affidavit that they did not receive the cash aid but their names were indicated in the payout list.
In a phone interview on Wednesday, March 1, Moreno called Judith’s accusations “irresponsible, reckless and stupid,” clarifying that the list that was being used in the distribution was approved by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Moreno explained the first list from the DSWD only contained a few names, prompting them to add more lists to maximize the budget and help more Kagay-anons during the pandemic, with the approval from the DSWD regional office Northern Mindanao.
The said lists include the Unconditional Cash Transfer (UCT), Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), Senior Citizens and Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
“Everything has been submitted to DSWD for approval. Like I said, in the agreement it’s very clear that we can distribute only to the people who were in the list,” he said.
The barangays were also asked to submit their lists just in case there were more names, in order to maximize the distribution within the allowable parameters.
However, Moreno said there was no assurance due to the limiting conditions such as a maximum of four individuals per household and not a recipient to other programs. Eligible residents were entitled to receive P1,000 cash each, with a maximum of P4,000 per family.
The former local chief executive acknowledged that there were still duplication issues after the distribution despite the effort of the city government to design a system to avoid the said problem.
However, Moreno said his administration made an effort to notify through writing those recipients who received the assistance more than once in order to return the money. Many recipients returned the money, he said.
He also said that he established a grievance committee, chaired by the city director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), that had been involved on the concerns and grievances that had been put forward pertaining to the ayuda distribution.
He said the city government was cleared as there was no adverse finding. “That adverse finding of Judith maybe he’s jealous,” Moreno said.
He also clarified that Sabuga-a and Fabello did not personally receive the check for the fund of the ayuda from DSWD, as it had been directly credited to the account of the city government.
‘To file a nonfeasance’
Councilor Joyleen Mercedes Balaba, social services committee chair, countered Judith’s act by not forwarding a copy of the said report to her committee, which created the ad hoc committee for the reinvestigation of special ECQ ayuda.
“I felt bypassed kay dapat naa koy kopya adto (because I should have a copy for it [referring to the committee report by the ad hoc committee],” Balaba said.
Right after finishing his report, Judith only forwarded it to City Mayor Rolando Uy and Vice Mayor Jocelyn Rodriguez.
As to his reason, Judith admitted that there was a bit of confusion as to the procedure since he indicated in the report that the said social services committee has lapses on the implementation of the ayuda.
Balaba acknowledged that there were minor lapses during the distribution as everything was new because of the Covid-19 pandemic, she said.
In her special report on Monday, Balaba wanted to file a nonfeasance – the failure to act where action is required – against Judith and she would be going to submit it before the committee on ethics and perhaps the committee on laws and rules.
“Because I believe Councilor Judith violated procedural rules,” Balaba said.
Moreno, on the other hand, stressed that the report created by Judith was his “own report” and not a committee report.
“There is no such committee report in the first place. The report that he’s talking about is his own concocted, fabricated report,” Moreno said.
The reinvestigation of special ECQ ayuda was conducted based on Resolution 01-2022 of the social services committee of the city council.
‘Indirect threats’
Judith admitted that he received ‘indirect threats’ after doing the reinvestigation of special ECQ ayuda.
He said he started receiving threats right after he said to the media on February 20 about the three former officials who may face charges over the alleged anomaly.
The names of the said former city officials were not disclosed during that interview, even the entire findings of the reinvestigation as he just submitted the report to Uy and Rodriguez.
“Basta naay mga panghulga, naay mga pangharas. Okay, okay lang. Dili nako ana kay malihis ta sa issue sa ayuda (There were threats, there were harassments. That’s okay. I wouldn’t mind as it could avoid the issue),” Judith said in an interview on Monday, Feb. 27, adding that he is ready with his security measures.
To address some speculations about the threats, Judith said there were two unfamiliar men who separately approached him and made the indirect threats.
“They had different statements. The first one, [he said] just take it slow. Why are you [focusing] about the ayuda? And the second one, [he said] you know what’s next. It’s not a specific threat but what do you call that,” Judith said in vernacular, in a phone interview on Wednesday, March 1.
The ad hoc committee chair said if there are still threats after submitting his report to the city council, he will report it to the police authorities to make it official.
Calling for people to ‘file the case’
Balaba said the report of the ad hoc committee chair will be forwarded to the DILG region 10 as the grievance committee.
Despite this, Judith still called on the public for people who have the strong courage to file the case against the three former officials.
“Napagawas naman nako akong committee report. Maski kinsa sa inyo ang maka-file sa kaso. Lisod kaayo magpasaka og kaso wala moy basis but now kompleto ta (I already released the committee report. Anyone can file the case. It’s so hard to file the case with no basis but now we’re complete),” Judith said.
He said there were two private lawyers who were ready to help the people in filling the case.
Judith said for those people who have the courage to file the case may go to the city council and look for his secretary where they can drop their personal information so that it will be forwarded to the two lawyers.
“I will make myself the facilitator but I am no longer connected with that as I would only get their names and forwarded to the lawyers. Let me clear, I’m off with that,” he said.
Moreno said he did not care on Judith’s call as he is confident that his administration did its part, stressing that Cagayan de Oro, during his leadership, has been admired on how the city government handled the pandemic. (MT)
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