The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
By Tracy Cabrera
DILIMAN, Quezon City — Perhaps as a form of vindication from the involvement of its top officials in widespread corruption in government, state auditors have flagged the Office of the Vice President (OVP) over alleged “discrepancies in documentation” on distributed welfare goods worth ₱110.1 million in 2024.
In its Annual Audit Report (AAR) released on Monday, December 1, the Commission on Audit (CoA) revealed that “a review of the transactions affecting the Welfare Goods Expenses account amounting to ₱110,119,991.44 for CY (calendar year) 2024 found a prevalence of deficiencies in the documentation in the distribution of welfare goods.”
One of the deficiencies discovered was the OVP’s failure to provide a verified and certified master list of beneficiaries, situation reports (SitRep) and mission orders which should have been prepared before the start of the distribution of the welfare goods amounting to ₱61,875,816.15.
Accordingly, the OVP likewise distributed ‘in-kind’ donations worth ₱641,890.33 to affected beneficiaries without the required documents while in some cases, the printed scanned copies of some Post-Activity Report (PAR) and Relief Distribution Sheet (RDS) or Distribution List for the distribution of welfare goods amounting to ₱26,197,000 were attached to the Request and Issue Slips (RIS) instead of the original copies.
As a result of the appraisal, government auditors pointed out that the welfare goods distribution process was contrary to Section 11.0 of the Policy Manual for Disaster Operations Program. Upon request, however, it clarified that the OVP’s Accounting Division was able to provide the audit team the original copies for welfare goods totalling ₱19,440,000.
At the same time, though, CoA asserted that its audit team noted the OVP’s RIS was belatedly submitted to the agency’s General Services Division (GSD). It also disclosed that various distributions of welfare goods amounting to ₱38,372,098.01 were not assigned with an RIS number on a timely basis and incurred delays of one to six months from the date when it should be reported.
Further more, the audit team was also unable to verify and determine the quantity of the welfare goods distributed and the basis of the selection of the qualified beneficiaries.
In addition, CoA explained that the SitRep serves as the evidence that the incident or disaster had happened and is used as the basis of the preparation of the mission order, while the master list of beneficiaries serves as the basis for the preparation of the Distribution List to determine the quantity of the welfare goods to be distributed.
Morever, the OVP likewise failed to produce the prescribed format for its relief distribution sheet (RDS), which is one of the documentary requirements in the distribution of welfare goods.
To sum up, CoA recommended that the OVP revisit the Policy Manual on Disaster Operations Program and submit the verified and certified Master List of Beneficiaries and other important documents to the Accounting Division. After which, the chief accountant should ensure that all distribution of welfare goods is supported with complete and original documentation.