MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) has upheld its notice of notice of disallowance (ND) against the P1.11 million in expenses of former officials of Nasugbu, Batangas, for a week-long Canada trip in 2014 as it junked their petition appealing the decision.
The COA held that the petitioners – former Nasugbu mayor Rosario Apacible, municipal accountant Arnold Chuidian, budget officer Edna Maligaya, tourism officer Perlita Rufo, legal officer Jearemmy Rosario, and Sangguniang Bayan member Roderick Cabral – were not entitled to the P980,722 cash advance for the foreign trip.
They were also not entitled to the P126,330.95 in reimbursements, since the expenses were considered “irregular expenditures.”
The six officials were selected as the local government’s delegates to the Philippine Sales Mission and Roadshow in Toronto, Winnipeg, and Vancouver in Canada from April 1 to 7, 2014.
State auditors had issued an ND on the basis of the municipality’s budget of just P210,000 for foreign travels that year. This means the trip had no legal funding.
The COA added that the purpose of travel lacked “urgency or necessity,” since it was “beyond their respective mandates or functions.”
The Nasugbu officials denied this, saying they used the opportunity to promote their town as a “world-class tourism and investment site.” They claimed that it was related to their mandates, since they were all members of the Municipal Tourism and Development Council.
They added that the trip expenses were charged against the budget of the mayor for maintenance and other operating expenses.
Still, the COA en banc said the foreign travel violated the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s Memorandum Circular No. 022-06, which does not allow post-travel authority.
The officials also presented a DILG travel authority dated May 20, 2014 – after the Canada trip.
When an ND is issued, it also means that the state actors are required to pay the amounts back. – Rappler.com