Commission on Audit has affirmed its ruling holding former San Antonio, Nueva Ecija mayor Arvin C. Salonga liable for P21.99 million worth of property loss following the 2013 fire that gutted the municipal hall.
In an En Banc resolution released Monday, 16 February, COA denied Salonga’s motion for reconsideration seeking relief from property accountability and stood by its 30 May 2022 decision that found him liable for the loss.
COA maintained that Salonga was negligent for belatedly filing his motion for relief on 21 July 2016, more than three years after the fire that destroyed the town hall shortly past midnight on 8 June 2013.
According to the audit body, there was no justifiable reason for the delay. The fire occurred 22 days before Salonga’s term as mayor ended, yet he only took action after he was re-elected to the post in 2016.
Salonga was also faulted for failing to secure insurance coverage for the municipal hall, in violation of Republic Act 656, which created the Property Insurance Fund under the Government Service Insurance System.
He had earlier been charged by the Bureau of Fire Protection for arson before the Office of the Ombudsman, but the complaint was dismissed for lack of evidence.
Despite this, COA said it took into account other events and circumstances based on available records in arriving at its ruling.
The commission noted that weeks before the fire incident, all closed-circuit television cameras in the municipality were removed. It also cited a prior ambush incident involving a COA auditor after the audit team informed Mayor Salonga that an audit would be conducted on the municipality’s transactions.
“The above circumstances, if taken together, show that the fire was no accidental,” COA said in its resolution.
Security personnel assigned to the building, aside from the BFP’s finding of arson, reportedly heard the sound of something being pushed inside the structure before the blaze.
COA said there was no explanation as to why the CCTV cameras were removed, noting Salonga’s indifference over the situation and that he had not shown any interest nor taken action immediately after the fire.
The ruling was signed by COA chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba and Commissioner Douglas M. N. Mallillin. Commissioner Mario G. Lipana was listed as on leave.