Curious, curiouser

“I RECEIVED cash advances from Atty. Dabu to defray the expenses for food, gasoline and operations of Balas averaging P5,000 a day.”
So disclosed Filologo Rodriguez, former supervisor of the Biyaya a Luluguran at Sisikapan (Balas) task force in an affidavit. This, in affirmation of the allegations of Roperlee Syquia, former general services office consultant, that putative provincial administrator Atty. Vivian Dabu lied in her claims that she did not give out money from her office for whatever purposes.
Syquia has filed a case with the Civil Service Commission against Dabu for a host of alleged irregularities in office and has requested for her preventive suspension alleging that Dabu, owing to her position, had the capacity to intimidate department heads and other provincial government employees as well as the capability to manipulate records.
Okay, Rodriguez himself said that the amount advanced – unfortunately the total he did not disclose – was liquidated and remitted by one Allan Cunanan directly to Dabu.
The thing here is, Rodriguez tried to prove that Dabu was provincial treasurer, if not Balas piggy bank, in such instance. Contrary to her claim she did not give out money.
“I also received the amount of P80,000 together with Tosh Cunanan for the purpose of purchasing guns that were registered in the names of Eduardo de Leon and Alex Pineda,” Rodriguez sang on in his sworn statement. Adding that the guns are now in the possession of Dabu.
So how many guns were purchased? Of what make and caliber? I can only guess that with the amount cited – P80,000 – that’s good for one or two rusty paltik, or eight sumpak.
And to whom have these guns been licensed? To Dabu? My, my, my, a Ma Barker in the making here? Time to be afraid, ye, Balas Boys. Time to be very, very afraid.
Balas Boys sinumpak sa ulo, dedo! Fodder for the tabloids there. Gory, very gory.
“The financial aid to indigents I reimbursed to Atty. Dabu after the disbursement voucher and other supporting documents were prepared by Rosario Gopez of the Provincial Social Welfare Development Office.” So claimed Ma. Teresa Briones, erstwhile member of the “Confidence Team” of Gov. Eddie T. Panlilio who was in charge of the social action agenda of his administration. Briones was a fixture from Panlilio’s days at the Social Action Center of Pampanga.
In her own affidavit in support of Syquia, Briones likewise revealed she was given “communication allowance” of P2,000 a month from July to October in 2007 and in January and February of 2008. That was until her falling out with the Panlilio administration.
Rodriguez also claimed having been given the same kind and amount of allowance from July to December 2007.
So what legal purpose will these revelations of Rodriguez and Briones serve? Is there anything illegal in “pretty always” Dabu giving out all those cash advances and allowances to them, which, by their own account, were properly liquidated?
I don’t know much about the legal ramifications here. This much though shows from what Rodriguez and Briones said: Syquia could well be right in claiming that among Dabu’s myriad tasks at the capitol was being putative treasurer too, if not mandated quartermaster in Panlilio’s official household.
Now the plot thickens, as it gets curiouser and curiouser. Not on who really runs the capitol. But on why Panlilio cannot let go of Dabu.