COA affirms ex-Nueva Ecija town mayor liable for negligence in municipal hall fire

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) affirmed its earlier decision that found former San Antonio, Nueva Ecija mayor Arvin Salonga liable for a 2013 municipal hall fire that cost P21.99 million.

Salonga had filed a motion for reconsideration in December 2022, asking the commission to reverse its May 30, 2022 decision that found him liable for the incident.

“The surrounding circumstances before and after the fire would prove the negligence of Mayor Salonga in providing safety measures to protect the properties under his accountability,” said the resolution signed by COA Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba and Commissioner Douglas Mallillin, and which was recently made public.

The decision noted that Salonga filed a request for relief from property accountability on July 21, 2016, or more than three years after the June 8, 2013 fire.

“He cannot use the reason that he was no longer the mayor at that time because the incident transpired on June 8, 2013, when he was still holding such position in the municipality. He had the opportunity to file the notice of loss prior to the end of his term as a mayor on June 30, 2013,” state auditors noted.

Salonga, the commission said, also failed to insure the municipal hall as required by Republic Act No. 656 or the Property Insurance Law, “[depriving] the municipality of the value of the municipal building.”

The ruling also noted Salonga’s “indifference…over the situation, he had not shown any interest nor taken any action after the conflagration.”

The commission said it took into consideration events and circumstances shown in records and found that “the above circumstances, if taken together, show that the fire was not accidental.” – Rappler.com