Capitol told to return P41.74M unspent PDAF

The Commission on Audit has advised the Cebu provincial government to return to the national treasury the P41.74 unspent Priority Development Fund (PDAF) or congressional pork barrel.

The audit body also advised Capitol amounting to P41.74 million has not yet to seek clarification from the Supreme been used for its intended purposes. Court on whether or not the P41.74 million “The non-reversion of the funds of the unspent funds should be returned to the National Treasure deprived the National national treasury. Government of much needed funds to

“We also recommend that management finance its other priority projects. The hasten the filing of its Motion for Clarification unutilized amounts had been aging to over before the Supreme Court to avoid eventual ten years,” the report read. disallowance of the disbursements in COA asked Governor Hilario Davide question,” read COA’s annual audit report III to direct his provincial treasurer to remit on Capitol’s financial statements submitted the funds back to the national treasury for 2017. pursuant to SC decision.

But Provincial Legal Officer Orvi Ortega, however, disagreed with COA’s Ortega said the Capitol can still use the request. unutilized funds, which have already been He explained that the funds were no downloaded to the provincial government longer part of the special allotment release before pork barrel funds were abolished order (SARO), thus they were not covered in 2013. by the SC ruling.

The SC en banc declared PDAF This means that the downloaded pork unconstitutional five years ago. barrel funds from 2006 to 2013 can still

The pork barrel has been met with be utilized and disbursed by the provincial public outrage following COA special report government, he said. citing gross misuse of lawmakers' funds. The biggest chunk of the P41.74

The Department of Justice, tracing million PDAF was for the financial the COA report, has filed plunder charges assistance for six towns amounting to against several lawmakers alleged to be P9 million. It was sourced from former involved in the PDAF scam believed to be Senate president Aquilino Pimentel Jr. masterminded by detained businesswoman It was followed by the P8.4 million Janet Lim-Napoles. in financial aid for indigent and senior

The scam involved the funneling of citizens. The amount was taken from pork barrel funds to bogus non-government the PDAF of former House deputy organizations. speaker Pablo “Pabling” Garcia.

COA, in its report, said the PDAF

Lorraine Mitzi A. Ambrad/KBQ