MANILA – The Commission on Audit (COA) has recommended the filing of charges against Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) officials due to their anomalous spending of funds for the 2017 ASEAN Summit.
In its annual audit report, COA urged the filing of appropriate charges against five unnamed PCOO officials for violating Republic Act (RA) 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act.
The officials have took “particular action that favored a particular supplier/s,” according to COA.
The PCOO has anomalously disburse P38.8 million out of the P219.24-million fund allotted for the ASEAN Summit, including the P4.04 million used for the rental or lease of IT (information technology) equipment.
“Verification of purchase orders and inspection of IT equipment such as laptops, desktops, camera, and camera lenses delivered on various dates in 2017 at the Property Section of PCOO disclosed that said IT equipment were leased/rented for a period of two to five months from various suppliers for a cost of P4,039,140.00,” the COA report stated.
Instead of renting or leasing, PCOO must have just purchased new IT equipment, which will only cost a total of P3,074,258 the highest, based on the inquiry made by COA.
Because of this, COA urged the PCOO to explain why the request for the realignment of funds was not submitted to the Department of Budget and Management, and prove why leasing or renting of IT equipment was more beneficial rather than buying a new one.
COA has also flagged down the PCOO for separating the purchase orders of payments on various goods/services (P27.5 million) and rental of passenger vans (P7.26 million) despite being purchased or leased at the same time.
Purchase orders were awarded to suppliers without adherence to the provisions of RA 9184. On the rental vans, only one out of four suppliers was eligible for validation.
“It could be seen that the other three suppliers had quotations higher than the approved budget for the contract, which quotations should have been rated as failed if not considered for evaluation and comparison,” the report read.
COA also recommended the PCOO to strengthen control measures to ensure all resources of the government will not go to waste through illegal disposition./PN
