COA urged to study P10.2 B in disbursements before 2010 polls

MANILA, Philippines - Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson has asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to examine some P10.2 billion in disbursements then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo made shortly before the May 2010 elections.

Singson told the good government committee of the House of Representatives yesterday that he has submitted to the COA a list of 1,074 projects funded from the disbursements with a request that they be audited.

The committee, chaired by Pampanga Rep. Oscar Rodriguez, is looking into the releases Arroyo made in February and March, less than three months before the elections.

Singson said the releases were made directly to the district engineering offices and did not pass through the main office of his department.

“Since I was not there yet, and based on the reports of our district engineers, I am assuming that these projects were properly done and the bidding and other procurement rules were followed, unless the COA says there were irregularities, or deficiencies. I think those were not ghost projects,” he said.

He said the releases were “congressional initiatives, meaning they were not part of the budget proposed by our department and Malacañang, and Congress inserted the appropriations during the budget deliberation process.”

“What surprised me is that some small districts received huge amounts, much more than larger districts. What also surprised me is that a total of P10.6 billion in congressional insertions was released in violation of a condition in the budget that Congress should first find revenue sources for them,” he stressed.

He added that upon the instruction of President Aquino and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, he was able to recall P399 million in unobligated allotments, reducing the amount spent to P10.207 billion.

Commenting on Singson’s statement, Rodriguez said if the disbursements were made in violation of a condition in the budget, it would mean that the releases were illegally made.

“Then, we have to find out who was the official or who were the officials responsible for those disbursements,” he said.

He added that his panel might have to invite the budget secretary at that time to shed light on the releases.

The Arroyo administration’s last budget chief was Joaquin Lagonera.

For his part, Nueva Vizcaya representative and Deputy Speaker Carlos Padilla said although the P10.2 billion indeed comprised budgetary insertions, he did not author any of the inserted appropriations.

“But we are happy that Nueva Vizcaya received P300 million of those disbursements. The funds were spent for several road projects. During the recent recess, I verified the projects, whose details are contained in the report of Secretary Singson, and I can say that they were accomplished,” he said.

Rodriguez also said he found it highly irregular that some district engineers have just submitted accomplishment reports for projects undertaken four years ago.

During its first hearing in March, Singson had submitted a report showing there was “zero accomplishment” in at least nine congressional districts, since the district engineers concerned did not report any accomplishment.

The report identified these as the fourth district of Pangasinan, which received P34.6 million; first district of Bulacan, P10 million; fourth district of Nueva Ecija, P20 million; first district of Pampanga, P35 million; third district of Pampanga, P502.5 million; third district of Tarlac, P20 million; lone district of Marinduque, P5 million; first district of Camarines Sur, P268 million; and lone district of Guimaras, P2.5 million, for a total of P897.6 million.     

“I am not saying that they implemented ghost projects, only that the engineers did not submit accomplishment reports,” Rodriguez commented then.

Yesterday, Singson submitted an updated report that included belated reports from the nine districts.

He said he was presuming regularity on the part of his engineers and it was up to the COA to check the supposed project accomplishments.