DOJ denies having P617 M unliquidated cash advances

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) denied yesterday a newspaper report (not in The STAR) that it has over P617.44 million in unliquidated cash advances last year.

In a statement, the DOJ said the Commission on Audit (COA) resident auditor can attest to that fact.

“This is to inform the public that, as of this date, nearly all unliquidated cash advances in the Department of Justice-OSEC (Office of the Secretary) proper have already been liquidated,” read the statement.

The DOJ said among the liquidated funds  were cash advances pertaining to its confidential fund and the witness protection program (WPP).

It was just waiting for the notice from COA central office for receipt of the liquidation, the DOJ added.

The DOJ admitted having unliquidated cash advances amounting to P470,000 that the Office of the Alternative Dispute Resolution (OADR) used during its anniversary celebration last December 2013, and P420,000 used by the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) in its operations.

However, these funds are now in the process of liquidation, the DOJ added.

No 4-day workweek in DOJ

The DOJ has followed the the judiciary’s example of rejecting the four-day workweek.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima rejected through Memorandum Circular No. 49 last Oct. 27 the Civil Service Commission (CSC)’s proposal to ease the traffic congestion in Metro Manila.

“The government agencies and offices in Metro Manila under the Department of Justice shall continue to observe the  required minimum five-day workweek,” she quoted a recent memorandum of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr.

The memorandum was addressed to DOJ  undersecretaries and assistant secretaries, the prosecutor general, chief state counsel and heads of attached bureaus, commissions and agencies.