BAGUIO CITY – A finance officer of the Cordillera office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-CAR) is now in hot water after he allegedly took from their office a total of P3.1 million previously earmarked for the agency’s social pension program.
Senior Superintendent George D. Daskeo, acting city director of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), identified the suspect who is currently at large as Oliver Garcia Hernandez, single, and a resident of No. 83 City Camp Alley Extension, Baguio City.
The complaint for malversation of public funds and estafa against the suspect was filed by Carol Ud-ulon Habawel, 42, married, a resident of Liteng, Pacdal, Baguio City; and Finance Management Unit Head Rina Claire Llusala Reyes, 38, married, and resident of No. 37-D South Central, Aurora Hill, Baguio City.
Initial police investigation showed that Habawel, who is in charge for the social pension for indigent senior citizens, asked their cashier Ms. Rose Moldero for the summary report of the 1st Quarter undisbursed Social Pension Stipend for inclusion on the 2nd Quarter 2016 payout.
Moldero prepared the report indicating that they received the amounts of P561,000.00 on March 23, 2016 and P2,929,500.00 in April 15, 2016 with supporting documents (logbook and promissory notes) signed by the suspect.
Habawel informed their Finance Management Unit Head, Reyes about the missing cash and at about 1:30PM Thursday, the complainants together with their Acting Regional Accountant Anna Pamela Baguilat went to the residence of the suspect who has been absent for work since April 18, 2016. However, the mother of the suspect informed them that Hernandez did not go home since April 16, 2016. Upon further inquiry, his mother informed them that she saw a bunch of cash inside her son’s drawer.
Thereafter, Marivic Hernandez together with the complainants went back to DSWD and turned-over the recovered amount of P1,000,000.00 to the cashier. They further found out that the suspect collected an amount of P139,500.00 from Ms. Emily Lopez; and P546,000.00 from Gian Carlo De Guzman. Thus, the overall total of cash missing is P3,176,000.00.
The suspect is now the subject of a manhunt operation for him to clear his name relative to the said missing public funds from the agency where he is employed.
By HENT
