CAGAYAN DE ORO, PHILIPPINES – Xavier University has reminded the City Government of Cagayan de Oro of its P7.8-million debt for using two dormitories during the pandemic.
On January 3, Mayor Rolando Uy’s office received a letter from Xavier University (XU)-Ateneo de Cagayan, stating a billing amount of P7,805,365 for the city government. This comprises P3,954,225 for the utilization of the Searsolin dorm and P3,581,140 for the Manresa dorm.
On January 11, Uy’s political spokesperson Ben Cyrus Ellorin asserted that the debt from the previous administration was highlighted following purported criticisms from former Mayor Oscar Moreno.
Moreno claimed that the current administration appears to disregard the “principle of continuity,” clarifying that the city government’s debt is the responsibility of the city government as a whole, not solely the obligation of the city chief executive.
On Monday, January 15, Uy expressed awareness of the “continuity” mentioned by Moreno but expressed a desire to understand why the previous administration couldn’t address the debt.
The current city chief executive emphasized that he wouldn’t have brought up the issue if Moreno hadn’t accused him of neglecting the city’s present obligations.
In response, Moreno refuted Uy’s claim that his administration failed to settle payments to Xavier University for 25 months. In addition to providing regular Covid-19 updates in his daily briefings, Moreno asserted that he consistently kept track of outstanding payments.
“Would Xavier University allow the city to use that facility without paying for 25 months? My God. It defies logic,” Moreno said on Monday.
During the peak of the pandemic, Moreno stated that the city government received reimbursements from PhilHealth for all isolation units and Temporary Treatment and Monitoring Facilities (TTMF) in the area.
He noted that PhilHealth had disbursed an amount ranging from P20 to P30 million before his term as mayor concluded.
Moreover, Moreno highlighted that there is an additional P20 to P30 million pending reimbursement from PhilHealth based on filed claims. However, he expressed uncertainty about whether this sum has been received by the city government under the present administration.
Uy mentioned that the city has outstanding obligations to various establishments for utilizing their rooms as quarantine facilities. He requested these establishments to formally communicate their financial claims through written letters.
The city government’s budget, accounting, and finance offices are currently in the process of preparing the necessary documentation for the payment of these obligations.
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