ILOILO – The Commission on Audit (COA) urged the Passi City government to refrain from plastering the names or faces of local officials on government projects.
State auditors said such were found on government programs, projects and properties and on procured goods in Passi City, which totaled to P629,564.21.
These were deemed irregular expenditures, according to COA in its audit observation for the calendar year 2020.
Irregular expenditure, COA said, is an expenditure with no observance of an established pattern, course, mode of action, behavior or conduct or conducted in a manner that deviates or departs from, or which does not comply with standards, or fails to follow or violated appropriate rules of procedure (per Circular No. 2021-003 dated Oct. 29, 2012).
COA particularly pointed out item 13 of the aforementioned circular: “Including names or initial and/or images or pictures of government officials in the billboard and signage’s on government programs, projects and properties banned under Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) memorandum circular no. 2010-101 dated September 23, 2010.”
Based on COA’s review of pertinent disbursement vouchers and its supporting documents (for period Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2020), Passi City “procured items (worth or total of P629,564.21) bearing the names of initials and/or images or pictures of government personalities that were considered irregular expenditures.”
These were the following:
* P185,831.26 – 3,300 pieces board calendar dated July 14, 2020
* P76,377.60 – 102 pieces customized jacket for the use of punong barangay and SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) chairman dated Oct. 14, 2020.
* P15,0000 – 100 pieces personalized mugs for giveaways (civil wedding at the office of the mayor) dated Oct. 16, 2020
* P352,355.35 – 3,000 pieces poster calendar, 650 pieces customized wall clock dated March 15, 2021 (account payable for calendar year 2020)
COA cited a provision under DILG’s memorandum circular No. 2010-01.
“(T)he practice of putting up of billboard and signage’s and other information materials bearing the names, initial or pictures of government personalities on all government projects, and government properties (fire truck, ambulances, vehicles etc.), is prohibited,” it said.
Information on government project should be limited to the “name of the project and location, contractor, the date when it started and the projects completion date.”
Government projects or properties and official vehicles must also only contain the “official seal or name of the local government unit.”
“Contact details such as but not limited to the website address or email address of the local government unit, may also be allowed,” it added.
Passi City’s Mayor Stephen Palmares said they only wanted “to inform the public of the (city’s) accomplishment (and) that these projects were implemented by the city government under the administration of the city mayor, city vice mayor and Sangguniang Panlungod officials.”
He assured COA that the local government would follow the commission’s recommendations./PN
