COA disallows P21.6M cash incentives in Mandaue

CEBU, Philippines - The Commission on Audit has disallowed over P21 million cash incentives granted by the Mandaue City government to job order employees, clean and green workers, and barangay health nutrition workers in 2013.

The notice of disallowance was received by Mayor Jonas Cortes and other city officials, including members of the City Council, on February 4.

The city officials are given six months from receipt of the notice to make an appeal otherwise it will become final and executory.

Councilor Diosdado Suico, majority floor leader, said the notice of disallowance will be tackled by the City Council.

He said they will study what legal remedy to take to prevent the recipients from returning the P21.59 million cash incentives. 

The City Council passed in November 2013 the City Ordinance No. 13-2013-872 granting P10,000 additional cash incentives to job order employees and P5,000 for clean and green, and barangay health and nutrition workers.

The ordinance was eventually approved by Cortes.

City Treasurer Regal Oliva said the city government will file a motion for reconsideration.

He said the City Legal Office will prepare the motion for reconsideration while his office will help provide supporting documents.

Oliva said even if COA-7 will deny its motion, the city government can bring it up before the COA central office. Oliva vowed to fight it out even until the Supreme Court.

Oliva said the recipients were also made to sign an undertaking before they received the amount that they will return the money should COA disallows it.

The state audit agency said the city government made a mistake in granting the cash incentives as it circumvented the job order agreements between the mayor and the workers.

Nothing was stipulated in the agreement that job order workers would receive additional cash incentives other than the payment for the services rendered. — /FPL (FREEMAN)