CEBU CITY — Former Department of Tourism (DoT) 7 Director Dawnie Roa Wednesday lamented the Visayas Ombudsman’s order for her not to accept the P500,000 severance fee issued her by the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) where she had been a board member.

The MCIAA gave Roa P500,000 in severance pay being a board member, but the Ombudsman advised the former Tourism Director not to accept the cheque pending an investigation to determine whether or not it was proper to release the honorarium to Roa.

Roa told Manila Bulletin she did not ask for anything from the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority and that it was the MCIAA board which decided to give her the amount. She confirmed that the cheque was delivered to her house last Friday but she has yet to encash it.

“It’s not my fault. I was not in the meeting in which the MCIAA board decided to give me that severance cheque and there has been no official order from the Ombudsman for me not to accept it” said Roa, pointing out that the Ombudsman only talks to the media and not directly to her.

Assistant Visayas Ombudsman Virginia Palanca-Santiago urged Roa to turn down the “P500,000 in severance” pay released by the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority and avoid getting entangled with controversy now that Roa has left public service.

“You (Roa) are at the end of the road. Don't tarnish your good reputation with P500,000. Money is not the important thing in the world; its reputation,” Santiago said.

The Visayas Ombudsman is investigating the move of the MCIAA board to give Roa P500,000 in severance pay. The investigation is intended to find out whether or not it was proper for the Authority to release the honorarium to Roa.

“If I'm the person given the money, I would return it. Maybe people will remember you because of that,” Santiago said.

She, however, said that as it is, the release of the severance pay to Roa was “presumed legal” since it was supported by a Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority board resolution.