The Commission on Audit says the numerous vehicles utilised by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process were 'unconscionable and excessive'
The Commission on Audit (COA) found that the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) spent at least P45 million on vehicle rentals in 2014 – 469% more than the appropriated budget.
According to
state auditors, OPAPP did not follow its P7.97 million ($168,660)*
appropriation for motor vehicle rentals as stated in its financial plan and
schedule expenses. Instead, it incurred a total of P45.24 million ($957,000).
The audit report
released by COA on December 18 also showed that the office rented a total of
294 vehicles in 2014 – 89 units on a monthly basis, and 205 on a “per activity”
arrangement.
The rented cars
were in addition to the 56 vehicles already owned by the agency.
COA pointed out
in the report that OPAPP channeled funds from other programs for the shortfall
without prior approval from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Under the National Budget Circular Number 446 in 1995,
rental of motor vehicles for more than 15 days is subject to approval by the
budget secretary.
“We verified
compliance of OPAPP to the above requirements and found that 89 motor vehicles
rented on a monthly basis for CY 2014 were not covered by an authority from the
DBM,” the state auditors said in the report. “The necessity of renting 294
motor vehicles cannot be adequately established since the purposes or
activities were not always indicated in the supporting documents.”
COA required
OPAPP to submit records of all vehicle rental transactions in 2014 through
letters dated January 16 and February 23.
The office,
however, was only able to present the documents of 37 vehicles – 20 in Mindanao and 17 in Metro Manila.
Auditors are also
asking OPAPP to explain the necessity of renting 294 vehicles.
“The numerous
vehicles utilized by OPAPP on its day-to-day operations could be regarded as
unconscionable and excessive under COA Circular No. 2012-003,” the COA said.
“We recommended that the management explain/justify the necessity of renting
said 294 vehicles.”
Irregularities
on papers?
COA stated in its
report that the liquidation documents submitted by OPAPP on its vehicle rental
expenses had “questionable registration details,” based on the database of the
Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Two plate
numbers, supposed to be assigned to a Toyota Fortuner and Mitsubishi Montero,
weren’t manufactured yet as of April 2015, COA said.
In addition,
details of other vehicles indicated in the rental papers did not tally with the
official receipts or certificate of registrations (OR/CR) when validated with
LTO.
A supposed plate
number for a Toyota Grandia hired by OPAPP in June 2014 from a rental service
in Marikina City
is actually assigned to a motorcycle registered in Davao City
A plate number
for a Toyota Fortuner allegedly rented from Barlo Enterprises is still active
and assigned to a 1978 Toyota Corona, LTO-Manila West Office disclosed.
The plate number
of a Hyundai Tucson hired for 14 months also with Barlo Enterprises is actually
registered to an Isuzu dump truck.
Two other Toyota
Fortuner meanwhile were also found to have plate numbers registered to other
type of vehicles while another car’s supposed plate number did not match with
any unit registered with the LTO.
“OPAPP entered
into lease agreement with firms that were not into the business of renting
motor vehicles or not registered with the DTI (Department of Trade and
Industry) and car lease firms that sub-contracted their services to private
individuals to the disadvantage of the government,” the COA said.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/116713-coa-irregularities-opapp-motor-vehicles
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