SPDA strips Hashim of functions due to alleged anomalies

COTABATO CITY — Administrative squabbles between the Board of Directors of the Southern Philippines Development Authority and SPDA administrator Habib Mujahab Hashim worsened this week when the 11-member policy making body stripped him of his functions due to alleged abuse of authority.

Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema, chairman of the SPDA’s governing board, said their decision to remove from Hashim all his powers was preceded by their drafting of a resolution on Oct. 8 where they urged President Arroyo to immediately replace him for having mismanaged the SPDA, which has dozens of costly livelihood projects in impoverished areas in the South.

But Hashim, former executive director of the Office of Muslim Affairs, told The STAR via mobile phone that the two resolutions were useless because he is a presidential appointee and that only President Arroyo can remove him from office.

"These efforts to unseat me, these resolutions are nothing but absolute stupidity," Hashim said.

In its latest resolution, the board cited Hashim’s defiance of previous directives for him to fire contractual employees and consultants, whose salaries have been costing the SPDA more than P500,000 monthly; his lack of transparency in the recent disbursement of P24 million of project funds; and his questionable procurement of a service vehicle as the grounds for restraining him pending his removal from is post by the President.

Hashim, installed as administrator only two months ago, said he merely inherited the SPDA’s fiscal problems from his predecessors. He did not elaborate.

Sema said they have also called for an "extensive, concerted probe" by competent government agencies on the status of the SPDA’s coffer and all of the corporate funds disbursed as expenditures and livelihood assistance to equally questionable cooperatives and organizations.

The SPDA board, in its Nov. 4 resolution, acknowledged and notarized by lawyer Jesus Joseph Zozobrado III, pointed out that Hashim violated government accounting procedures when he procured recently a brand new Isuzu Crosswind sports utility vehicle using corporate funds without any clearance from the 11-member policy-making board.