P8.7M PDAF town spending irregular – COA

The Municipality of Aloguinsan has reportedly spent some of the Priority Development Assistance Fund of former Cebu third district representative Pablo John Garcia on other purposes resulting in the irregular disbursement of government funds.

The Commission on Audit found out that expenditures out of the PDAF totaling to P8.7 million were not made in accordance with the projects/programs as contained in the Notice of Cash Allocations.

For the first quarter of 2013, the municipality received a total of P16 million financial assistance from Garcia of which P3 million was directly credited to the municipality’s trust fund bank account.

COA noted the NCA showed that the financial assistance was intended for the implementation of the municipality’s basic and social services such as health and medical assistance, livelihood projects, burial assistance, feeding program, food security and disaster preparedness and sports development programs.

However, COA said that as of December 30, 2013, the municipality incurred expenditures out of the PDAF totaling to P14.5 million of which P8.7 million was not in accordance with the programs/purpose as contained in the NCAs.

COA disclosed that payments were made for tuition fees of selected scholars of the former congressman who were enrolled not only in public schools but mostly in private institutions.

The funds were also used for payment of barangay officials’ uniforms and salaries and honoraria for Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Service program.

The municipality also paid P2.5 million to the Liga ng mga Barangay as financial assistance to various barangays for sports/cultural activities but has not been accounted as of the audit date reportedly due to the failure of the Association of Barangay Council president and treasurer to produce the documents upon audit.

Likewise, two sets of computers were given to the Political Affairs Office of Garcia in Pinamungajan but was not booked up in the books of the municipality.

It also transferred funds to non-government offices such as Bojo Aloguinsan Eco-Tourism Association in the amount of P 600,000 for various projects such as rehabilitation of boardwalk, purchase of life vests, uniforms, water tank, monoblock chairs, rice subsidy and cross visits, Kantabogon Ecotourism Association which received P50,000 for the purchase of kitchen utensils and furnitures; Bojo Fishermen Association for P50,000 to purchase fishing equipments; and Bonbon Fishermen Association for Bigasang Bayan project of P50,000 which were used to purchase NFA rice without any Memorandum of Agreement.

It transferred P2 million to the general fund which was utilized to augment the regular appropriation of the office and lastly P4 million was utilized for the reclamation project of the municipality.

COA required the municipality to secure realignment of funds from the fund grantor for the use of the funds for other purpose or else this will be disallowed in audit. — Gregg M. Rubio/ATO