COA asks former Toledo mayor to refund transpo allowance

CEBU, Philippines - Former Toledo City mayor Aurelio Espinosa is being asked to refund the transportation allowance he received in the amount of P36,000 during the period in which four government motor vehicles were assigned to him.

The Commission on Audit, in its 2013 report, said Espinosa violated the Local Budget Circular No. 103 dated May 15, 2013, thereby incurring illegal expenditures.

 “Those who are assigned or who use government motor transportation shall no longer be entitled to the TA, but only to the commutable RA for the month,” read the circular issued by the Department of Budget and Management.

 However, COA said that the review of the Transportation Allowance account where the commutable TA is recorded and the Acknowledgement Receipt for Equipment (ARE) of all motor vehicles disclosed that the city paid commutable transportation allowance to the then city mayor while he was assigned four motor vehicles, as evidenced by his signature on the AREs.

 The four vehicles assigned to the former mayor were a Toyota Hi-Ace Grandia 2012 Van (SHX 222), a new Sportivo Wagon 2006 (SHC 504), a Nissan Terrano (SHD 311), and an Isuzu Trooper Wagon (SHD 555).

 Espinosa justified that while he signed the vehicles’ Acknowledge Receipt for Equipment (ARE), he did not usethem since he assumed office as mayor.

 He said he used his personal vehicle when he went to different places.

 However, COA stressed that LBC No. 103 cites two situations in which an employee who holds a position entitled to the transportation allowance will no longer be granted such transportation allowance.

 These situations are when an employee is assigned a government motor transportation or when an employee uses a government motor transportation.

 COA emphasizes the conjunction “or” signifies that even if only one of the two situations is present, the personnel will no longer be given the transportation allowance.

 Aside from asking refund, COA further recommended that the city stop the granting of transportation allowance to local officials who are assigned or who use government vehicles, without prejudice to the refunds of past claims to be made upon receipt of the notices of disallowance by the auditor. (FREEMAN)