COA: Army yet to give out P47.6-M aid to soldiers hurt in Marawi

From GMA News Online (Jul 3, 2019): COA: Army yet to give out P47.6-M aid to soldiers hurt in Marawi

The Philippine Army has failed to distribute P47.6 million worth of financial assistance to Army personnel who were wounded in action during the Marawi siege from May to October 2017, the Commission on Audit (COA) said Friday.

Based on an annual audit report on Philippine Army, a total of P47.6 million out of the P235 million assistance for the wounded army personnel from general headquarters of the Armed Forces and the Philippines and various private donors remained unused as of December 2018.

“Verification of the cash donations so far showed that the Army had not crafted specific guidelines for the receipt and utilization and liquidation of donations, especially for those intended for the wounded Army personnel," COA said in its report.

"This is a contributing factor in the slow utilization of the donations and works against its intended purpose,” it added.

Cash donations
COA said the Army donations for financial assistance to legal beneficiaries of killed-in-action Army personnel amounted to P147 million.

Of the P147 million, P128.5 million have been utilized.

A P40.122 million was also spent for the travel of female Army personnel to Hong Kong on Observation Tour on Safety and Security.

Audit of the disbursement vouchers and documents supporting this utilization, however, showed that the Army exceeded the financial assistance granted to 118 certified killed in action beneficiaries by P9.98 million.

“We recommended that Management formulate specific guidelines for the receipt, utilization and liquidation of the donated Marawi Fund intended for wounded Army personnel and, in accordance with such guidelines, utilize it fully for the timely benefit of such personnel,” COA said.

COA also tasked the Army to justify the overpayment to families of killed in action beneficiaries.

Sought for comment, Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala said the Army is still drafting a response on the matter.

It has been over two years since terrorists from the Maute group held Marawi City under siege for five months, taking hostages, destroying communities, killing non-Muslims and battling government troops with relentless sniper fire.

The Marawi siege left over a hundred people and at least P53 billion worth of damages.

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