Saturday, September 12, 2009 [ sunstar.com.ph ]
By Rizel S. Adlawan
CEBU Provincial Assessor Anthony Sususco retracted his earlier statement that he turned over the technical working group’s (TWG) report and a vicinity map of the Balili resort property to Provincial Board (PB) Member Juan Bolo.
This was a complete change from Sususco’s previous public statements, made at least four times, that he had given everything to Bolo.
The vicinity map is crucial because it could have alerted the PB to the fact that part of the nearly 25-hectare property the Province bought for P99 million was underwater or covered by mangroves.
Since the documents were placed in one folder, “I presumed that all documents were given to Bolo,” Sususco told the PB as it continued its inquiry yesterday on the
transaction.
Bolo has resigned as chairman of the provincial and municipal properties committee. Apart from the PB, the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas and the Capitol’s own Balili Properties Review Committee are investigating the transaction. Capitol has also demanded a refund of nearly P38 million, representing the submerged and mangrove areas of the property in Naga.
Review
PB Member Victor Maambong, in a separate interview, said he did not anticipate Sususco’s retraction but the PB members have to weigh his previous statements and his latest retraction to check which is more believable.
Since Sususco comes from the executive department, Maambong said any link between the executive and legislative departments on the Balili deal was cut by Sususco’s retraction.
In a briefing at the Grand Convention Center, Sususco even showed to the Cebu media a logbook indicating that Bolo’s staff had received all the documents.
Bolo missed yesterday’s hearing and could not be asked about Sususco’s latest statement.
However, Bolo had earlier said that his staff, Clarissa Sususco, only got a copy of the appraisal committee’s report when she visited the Assessor’s Office on July 13, 2008.
Clarissa is the provincial assessor’s wife.
Sususco opened yesterday’s statement by saying: “Last week, I appeared during the Saggunian meeting, (and) I told these members that we submitted, if I can recall, the resolution together with the supporting documents and the vicinity map.”
Change
“I told them I submitted because it was taken by the staff of Bolo from the admin division. Since the documents were placed in one folder, I presumed that everything, including the supporting documents, went to the staff of Bolo,” Sususco said.
He said he has since verified that only a resolution was received.
“So are you now changing your previous testimony?” Maambong asked.
“Yes, your honor,” said Sususco. He said he “presumed that everything was submitted.”
Bolo was reportedly in Dapitan, while the Balili estate’s executor, Atty. Romeo Balili, was in Manila for a hearing.
It was the first time Bolo missed the hearing.
Annette Vero, assistant provincial assessor, told the PB she had received a copy of the vicinity map. It was presented during the meeting of the members of appraisal committee, which Sususco heads.
She said that after the approval of the provincial appraisal committee, the resolution (which set the value of the property) and other supporting documents were forwarded to the Administrative Division.
Voucher
Carmelita Reyes, administration officer-in-charge of the Provincial Assessor’s Office, will be invited to the next PB committee hearing. It is her office that controls the logbook, which showed that Sususco gave only a copy of the appraisal committee’s resolution, excluding the vicinity map.
Also yesterday, Provincial Accountant Marieto Ypil defended the regularity of his signature appearing in the disbursement voucher. The unilateral deed of sale from the Balili Estate listed 11 lots, although the Capitol only purchased 10 lots.
Ypil said that one lot was covered only by a tax declaration.
Since he knew that 10 lots were transferred to Capitol, he signed the voucher “because there was a reduction and no increase of the obligation of the Province.”
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on September 12, 2009.
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