MANILA, Philippines – Pinuna ng isang mambabatas ang nasa 158 umanong “bogus and spurious” receipts para mapabilis ang liquidation papers para sa P23.8 milyong confidential funds ng Office of the Vice President sa ilalim ni Sara Duterte.
“So, what you’re saying is they (OVP) exceeded in their liquidation reports?” ayon kay Rep. Joel Chua, panel chairman ng House of Representatives’ Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, sa tanong kay 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez kaugnay sa pagkakadiskubre ng 158 lapses sa documentation.
“Your guess is as good as ours. It could also be that these ARs (acknowledgment receipts) were belatedly prepared,” ani Gutierrez.
Sinabi ng 1Rider party-list congressman na taglay ng liquidation papers ang mga petsa noong Disyembre 2023 kung saan wala pang confidential fund ang nailalabas sa panahong iyon.
Sa kabuuan ay nagpasa ang OVP ng 158 acknowledgment receipts sa COA, kabilang ang ilang transaksyon.
“For 158 people to make the same mistake, is that something that would be acceptable? Is that an acceptable margin of error for COA?” tanong ni Gutierrez.
“These are clear red flags in relation to the ARs submitted by the OVP, and this is something that we should consider (legislating).”
Aminado naman si Commission on Audit official Gloria Camora sa House Committee na mayroong “inadvertence and typographical mistakes” na ginawa ang tauhan ng OVP, at kinumpirma niya ring wala pang inilalabas na CIF sa ikatlong quarter ng 2023.
“One of the findings under the COA notice of suspension is that some ARs were dated December 2023, and some were even undated. They (OVP) said they inadvertently contained clerical or typographical errors indicating 2023 instead of 2022.”
Sa kabila nito, hindi naman kumbinsido si Gutierrez at tinawag na “spurious and bogus” ang mga nadiskubreng ARs.
“Didn’t you find it strange? Not really strange – it’s outright false for it to justify an expense for 2022 but the date is 2023,” anang mambabatas.
Ipinakita ng mambabatas ang mga AR na may petsang Disyembre 2022, kung saan ang confidential at intelligence funds ay nadisburse lamang isang buwan matapos nito, o Disyembre 2022 kung saan ginastos ng OVP ang P125 milyon sa loob lamang ng 11 araw.
May kaparehong sulat din ang mga AR, at may kaparehong kulay ng ballpen na ginamit sa magkakaparehong pattern.
May signatories din ito umano ng isang “AAS” at “JOV” na tumanggap ng kabuuang P280,000 at P920,000 “purchase of information,” noong Disyembre 2022.
May kabuuang 776 ARs, 302 rito ang nagtataglay ng “unreadable names” na may limang “repeated names.”
Wala pang tugon si Vice President Sara Duterte kaugnay ng alegasyon ng mambabatas. RNT/JGC
