By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A 60-day preventive suspension was issued against former Negros Occidental’s Isabela municipal treasurer Nenette Escarda in connection to the missing P6.4 million funds of the local government unit last month.

Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson approved the suspension order upon receiving the recommendation of the Provincial Legal Office (PLO), which released the findings of their preliminary investigation.

PLO head Atty. Alberto Nellas, Jr. said the suspension order, which came into effect yesterday morning, aims to protect the PLO’s formal administrative investigation.

Aside from the suspension order, Escarda was also slapped with an administrative charge of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and malversation of public funds.

Lacson also gave Escarda three days to answer the charges against her, and submit additional evidence or bring witnesses.

Failure to respond within the said period shall be considered a waiver to submit the same and the case will be decided based on available records, Lacson said.

She was also advised to indicate if she would conduct a formal investigation or to submit a position paper.

Meanwhile, Nellas said Escarda admitted that it was her decision to bring the P6.4 million worth of cash and checks to her house in Bacolod City, even though Isabela Mayor Irene Montilla had not authorized her.

Montilla assigned another person to deposit the funds to the bank.

On January 21, Escarda approached Police Station 6 in Bacolod City as her house in the city’s Barangay Taculing had been burglarized.

The alleged robbers carted away P3.8 million in bank checks and cash amounting to P2.6 million.

However, police investigators were baffled by the robbery incident as they had observed several oddities in the accident./DGB, WDJ