COA: 5,050 backpacks, school supplies given by Pagcor to politicians, not schools

The Commission on Audit (COA) scolded officials of the Philippine Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) for distributing a total 5,050 sets of backpacks and school supplies to politicians instead of authorized public school officials last year.

COA also lamented PAGCOR’s slow response in assisting victims of calamity apparently due to the gaming firm’s failure to put in place a “wellplanned disaster response system.”

These were among the numerous audit observations made by COA in its 2017 annual audit report that was released alst month.

Previously, it was reported that PAGCOR still owes government P21.186 billion in unpaid shares of the national government from casino operation earnings.

Auditors said another P1.631 billion was withheld by PAGCOA as share of the Philippine Sports Commission in 2017.

The audit report also noted that Pagcor’s Community Relations and Services Department released 5,050 sets of bacpacks costing p2.557 million “to politicians or their representatives instead of the authorized public school officials.”

Auditors said this move gave PAGCOR “no assurance that the donations” reached the targeted beneficiaries. They stressed that there were no documents submitted to confirm the truth about the distribution of the bags that contained school supplies and hygiene kits.

A total 30,000 bags worth P33.120 million were supposed to be distributed to primary public school pupils as part of PAGCOR’s corporate social responsibility program in 2017.

However, audit examiners noted that the deed of donations indicated that 6,060 backpacks were received by politicians or their representatives.

“It was also noted that the distribution of the backpacks to the intended beneficiaries were undertaken by the donee politicians without the presence of the CRSD personnel,” COA reported.

“Granting also that the intended beneficiaries received the items, the practice however suggests an impression to the beneficiaries that such donations were endowed by the politicians themselves, and not by PAGCOR,” it added.

Responding to the audit report, PAGCOR explained that they merely responded to the appeals for assistance made by local government units on behalf of public schools under their jurisdiction.