By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga
Negros Occidental’s Isabela town Mayor Irene Montilla said yesterday they are awaiting the results of the investigation from police and the provincial government over alleged stolen funds from the house of a municipal treasurer last month.
In a phone patch interview, Montilla said she talked with the now sacked municipal treasurer Neneth Escarda last January 27.
Montilla said Escarda had already told her what happened, and earlier this week, she received a call from provincial administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, who informed her that Escarda was in his office.
A few hours later, Escarda arrived at the Isabela town hall accompanied by several officials from the provincial government as she needed to turnover all documents to the municipal treasurer’s office.
The treasurer was supposed to be formally relieved this coming week, as Montilla said they forwarded a recommendation to the Bureau of Local Government and Finance requesting to terminate Escarda from her post due to “loss of trust and confidence” on the part of the municipality.
Montilla said they haven’t determined yet if Escarda had a history of taking the municipal government’s funds to her home.
Municipal treasurers are forbidden from taking home any property of the municipal government, Montilla added.
The town mayor had already released an office order assigning somebody else, aside from Escarda, to deposit their funds in the bank.
“Natingala ko ngaa gindala niya puli with the intention of depositing over the weekend, indi na ‘na ya kasali sa iya duties,” Montilla said.
She said Escarda also had a habit of failing to come to work, which is why she made a decision to assign a depositor.
Meanwhile, Isabela police chief, Captain Ar-Jay Dangarang said the Commission on Audit (COA) had already finished their auditing of the municipal government’s funds and confirmed that the missing cash and checks were estimated to reach P7 million.
The COA also included in its report that Escarda should be removed from her post.
Dangarang said they are now finishing their report and would forward their endorsement to the municipal government and the Provincial Legal Office.
Escarda could face an administrative charge over the incident, Dangarang said.
On January 21, Escarda approached Police Station 6 in Bacolod City to complain that her house in the city’s Barangay Taculing had been burglarized.
The robbers carted away P3.8 million in bank checks, as well as cash amounting to P2.6 million.
However, investigators from Police Station 6 are currently baffled by the robbery incident as they have observed several oddities from the case.
Investigators also wondered as to why Escarda was keeping large sums of money in her home.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson was also made aware of the case and has ordered the provincial government to investigate the incident./DGB, WDJ