Ex-COA commissioner tapped to probe Cebu City's 'fiscal mess'

The financial management of Cebu City is now under intense scrutiny amid allegations of irregularities involving billions of pesos in public funds from the previous administration.

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Vice Mayor Tomas “Tommy” Osmeña raised the alarm over what he described as a “fiscal mess,” prompting the city to seek the help of former Commission on Audit (COA) Commissioner Heidi Mendoza as an independent fiscalizer.

In a public statement, Osmeña claimed that the P12 billion supposedly left by the administration of former Mayor Raymond Garcia is now unaccounted for.

"Cebu City's finances are a mess. The 12B that the previous mayor claims to have left behind cannot be found. Crucial documents are missing, and even then, anomalous transactions are being discovered every day," Osmeña said, citing alleged overpriced luxury vehicles, ghost job order workers, P20,000 shirts, unauthorized purchases, and unpaid barangay tanods dating back to last year.

"Accounts payable are in the billions," he added.