MANILA, Philippines – Patuloy na mino-monitor ng Office of the President (OP) ang outstanding bills mula sa ibang ahensiya ng gobyerno matapos na mapuna ng Commission on Audit ang mahigit na P14 million na uncollected expenses para sa foreign trips ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
”Ito po ang masasabi natin patungkol diyan and I quote: ‘Collection letters were already issued in April and May 2025. Of the said amount, P7,887,555.64 or 55% were already collected to date. The OP consistently monitors the outstanding bills through monthly aging report and sending of collection demand letters,” ang sinabi ni Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary at Palace Press Officer Claire Castro sa isang press briefing sa Malakanyang .
Sinasabing mahigit sa P14 million na foreign travel expenses ang inabonohan ng OP para sa iba’t ibang government officials ang nananatiling uncollected ‘as of December 2024’, ayon sa report ng COA.
“Overdue receivable from other agencies pertaining to airfare and hotel accommodations of government officials initially paid by OP in connection with foreign travels amounting to P14,403,827.63 remained uncollected as of December 31, 2024,” ang sinabi ng COA sa kanilang taunang annual audit report.
Ang uncollected amount ay napaulat na naging gastos ng mga opisyal mula sa ibang national government agencies, government-owned or -controlled corporations, and local government units na sumama sa presidential foreign trips simula pa noong 2022.
Sinabi ng COA na ang mga opisyal na ito ay mula sa Board of Investments, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Department of Agriculture, Department of Finance, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Justice, Department of Migrant Workers, Department of Public Works and Highways, Department of Tourism, at Department of Trade and Industry.
Ayon sa COA, saklaw ng unliquidated expenses ang pagbisita ng Pangulo sa China, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, at Estados Unidos.
Sinabi pa ng COA na ‘overdue’ na ang advances ng OP, may ilang natitirang unpaid o hindi pa bayad para sa mahigit na dalawang taon. (KRIS JOSE)
