The Commission on Audit (COA) has officially cleared Vice Mayor Ma. Vicenta L. Vega-Cabigting and 12 City Councilors of any liability in the 2023 audit issue concerning Job Order (JO) workers. The case was previously filed by Pyra Lucas of the United Pilipino Against Crime and Corruption (UPACC) before the Office of the Ombudsman.
The COA’s certification, dated March 31, 2025, confirmed that the audit issue had been “closed and exited,” with no disallowances, suspensions, or charges filed against any of the officials involved.
“Finally, the Audit Observation Memorandum for CY 2023 has been closed and exited. The COA Auditor, having been satisfied that respondents have sufficiently complied with the recommendations, certified that they ‘have no recorded disallowances, suspension, or charges,’ as stated in the certification dated March 31, 2025,” the officials stated in their joint counter-affidavits.
The 12 councilors cleared of the same issue are: Crystal Dj Aguas, Crisanto G. Cortez, Joseph Alfie T. Bonifacio, Marino D. Banola, Danilo D. Lacson, Jesus S. Sangil, Edgardo D. Pamintuan Jr., Raco Paolo S. Del Rosario, Arvin M. Suller, Alexander P. Indiongco, Jeremias M. Alejandrino, and Arnoah Prince D. Mandani.
Officials Denounce Complaint as Groundless
In response to the allegations, Vega-Cabigting and the councilors filed joint counter-affidavits opposing the motion for their preventive suspension. They argued that the complaint was legally flawed and misinterpreted the audit findings.
Questioning Legal Standing
The officials also raised concerns about the legal standing of Lucas, asserting that she had no authority to represent UPACC in filing the complaint.
“No Board Resolution or Secretary’s Certificate has been shown to authorize Pyra Lucas to file and represent the corporation in this complaint,” the counter-affidavit stated.
Vega-Cabigting further emphasized that the absence of proper authorization rendered the complaint “filed not under oath,” violating Ombudsman rules, which require verified complaints.
“Such lack of authorization renders the complaint invalid and violates Ombudsman procedures,” her affidavit added, warning that allowing the complaint to proceed would constitute an act of perjury.
No Evidence for Malversation or Negligence Claims
The complaint was based on a COA Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM), which noted that 171 Job Order workers did not appear during verification. Lucas allegedly presumed these workers were ghost employees and that their wages had been misappropriated.
However, the officials clarified that the AOM did not conclude that the workers were fictitious or that their compensation was malversed. They explained that these workers were actively engaged in legitimate, community-based tasks, such as research, data gathering, garbage collection, tree planting, and assisting with feeding programs.
“The AOM acknowledges that most Job Order workers were assigned to the field, performing duties directly related to the Council’s functions,” the counter-affidavit stated.
The officials also clarified that the workers’ failure to appear for verification was due to communication issues, as many of them were deployed in the field and had difficulty attending the audit.
Call for Dismissal of Unfounded Charges
The respondents emphasized that there was no evidence supporting allegations of criminal or administrative violations, particularly the charge of “conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.”
They also pointed out that no acts of falsification, misconduct, or neglect of duty were proven, making the charges groundless.
In conclusion, the officials called for the dismissal of both the criminal and administrative complaints, asserting that the case lacked merit and was based on misinterpretations and unfounded assumptions. They also opposed the motion for preventive suspension, deeming it unnecessary.
Vega-Cabigting and the 12 City Councilors reaffirmed their commitment to transparency, accountability, and public service in Angeles City.
