Sports agency told to account for millions
THE MAIN Philippine agency supporting Filipino athletes must account for more than P130 million of financial aid given to sporting groups, state auditors said, portions of which date back to an international competition a decade ago.
In its report on the Philippine Sports Commission’s (PSC) 2013 operations, the Commission on Audit ( CoA) said portions of financial assistance and cash advances made by the agency to various sports associations, athletes and coaches remained unaccounted for.
“Financial assistance granted from 1990 to 2012 to various national sports associations, other sports organizations, athletes/ coaches and funds entrusted to three Southeast Asian (SEA) Games Organizing Committees totaling P139,649,839.29 as of Dec. 31, 2013 remained unliquidated,” the CoA said in its report released on Monday.
Under existing CoA rules, recipients of public funds from government agencies should sub- mit accomplishment and fund utilization reports within 60 days after the end of the sponsored project. A shorter 30-day period is given to those availing financial aid from the state.
The unaccounted amount forms the bulk of P235.37 million of doleouts to sports groups for more than two decades. Broken down, 76 sports organizations, athletes and coaches received P162.15 million; the Philippine SEA Games organizing committee received P27.22 million; the Bacolod SEA Games committee, P35.99 million; and the Cebu SEA Games committee, P10 million.
The three organizing panels received the sum of P73.2 million for the country’s hosting of the SEA Games in 2005, with sporting events held across the provinces.
Nearly P11 million of cash advances handed to PSC employees also remained unsettled, auditors said. Bulk of these advances were incurred by employees no longer with the PSC.
Responding to audit findings, PSC officials said in the report that the lack of proper records turnover among past administrations led to the liquidation problem, adding that some group leaders and athletes have already died or could not be found.
The CoA added that additional fund grants and cash advances should not be given to those with unliquidated dues, saying that failure to do so would merit administrative charges. —