Brooke’s Point Vice Mayor Mary Jean Feliciano said two members of the Sangguniang Bayan harbor a personal grudge against her over issues surrounding the unfinished “elevated tank” project in the town.
Feliciano said in her privilege speech on Monday, October 20, that Sangguniang Bayan members Nathan Lacanilao and Ezekiel Rodriguez were allegedly angry with her because she refused to sign their 2023 liquidation reports.
The two allegedly took a cash advance of about ₱46,000 for the Philippine Councilors League-Palawan Chapter quarterly meeting, but did not proceed with the trip to Coron.
“Nagulat ako, nagsubmit ng liquidation report ang dalawang konsehal sa pamamagitan ng kanilang secretary, hindi ko ito nilagdaan, sabi ko kay Rodriguez, hindi mapirmahan ang inyong liquidation dahil hindi naman kayo natuloy sa Coron,” Feliciano said.
She added that Rodriguez was later assigned as officer-in-charge, allowing him to sign his own liquidation report.
However, the municipal accountant did not approve it because there were no photos or other proof that the trip took place.
Feliciano called the act “clearly dishonest,” questioning why a liquidation report was filed for a trip that did not happen.
Both councilors explained their side during the session. Rodriguez said he had already paid for his hotel, plane ticket, and PCL registration, but could not go because of an emergency involving his wife.
Lacanilao said he also failed to attend because of a health issue. Both said they had returned the cash advance to the government.
“Alam naman natin na bago lumabas ng office ay magca-cash advance sapagkat para may magamit ka sa ibanayad mo sa eroplano, August 18, yon ang time na pumunta kami ng asawa ko sa PPC, nag heart attack ako at may mga medical certificate yan, tumawag din ako hindi ako makakasama, nagkaroon ba ng issue na tinago ko ang pera? Binayaran ko ito, yan ang normal na gawain ng mga nagta-travel, i-refund ang na-advance natin,” Lacanilao pointed out.
Municipal accountant Xenia Saya clarified that she could not give an exact answer when asked if the two still had unliquidated balances from previous years.
“Hindi kasi ako makapagbigay ng absolute answer unless na alam ko na itatanong ngayon, kasi baka may travel kayo next week, baka sa ngayon unliquidated cash advance kayo, kung few years maaaring wala, i cannot answer absolutely, i do not remember, kung kailan ba ang tinutukoy,” Saya said.
She explained that the office usually notes in the vouchers if “previous cash advance has been liquidated,” which means the person can make another cash advance.
Rodriguez, for his part, denied that the issue was motivated by anger.
“Una sa lahat, hindi ito ang dahilan o anumang reason para kami ay magkaroon ng personal na galit, alam yan ng aking kasamahan, kami ay tumatayo, hindi dahil sa gusto naming atakehin o kung sino man, wala kaming binabanggit na pangalan, bakit? Gusto naming makita ng taong bayan na we are aiming for the answer sa projects,” he said.
Feliciano also made a separate remark during her speech, claiming that some local officials receive election funds from mining companies.
“Alam ko marami sa ating tuwing eleksyon, binibigyan, kumukuha ng campaign fund, mayroon akong mga witnesses na nagsasabi, hindi ako takot na matalo, nanatili akong tapat sa Brooke’s Point, hindi ako kumukuha ng pera sa minahan, dahil milyon-milyon ang offer sa akin, hindi ako natukso,” she said.
The Level II Brooke’s Point Water System Supply Project began in 2014 through an agency-to-agency agreement between the provincial government of Palawan and the local government unit of Brooke’s Point, represented by then-mayor Feliciano, with a ₱119-million budget.
In 2017, the project was upgraded to Level III, using ₱32 million from declared savings from the earlier phase.
After the speeches, the council approved the reaffirmation of SB Resolution No. 98, Series of 2024, authored by Lacanilao, which requests the Commission on Audit (COA) to conduct a “special audit” of the elevated tank project and review the entire water system project.
