Know the Facts: Excerpts from the COA Report (by Raymond Fortun)
On 16th August
2013, the Commission on Audit released its Special Audits Office Report
No. 2012-03. Here are some of the notable findings:
1. The total allocations for PDAF ("soft projects") and VILP ("hard projects") for 2007-2009 amounted to Php79.878 Billion.
2. Despite the rule that each legislator has fixed allocations (Php70M
for Congressmen and Php200M for Senators), a total of Seventy-Four (74)
legislators exceeded their respective allocations.
3. Funds were released by implementing agencies with "no administrative and technical capabilities to implement the project."
4. Funds were released to implementing agencies "for no specific purpose or for projects outside of the agencies' mandated functions."
5. The implementing agencies used the funds without due regard to existing rules and regulations. Substantial amounts were transferred to NGO's without any appropriation law or ordinance authorising such transfer and were used for projects not eligible under the program. Worse, the reported projects were supported with questionable and/or spurious documents. Infrastructure projects were not effectively implemented as a number were found deficient or implemented in private lots, among others, which is prohibited under the law.
6. NGO recipients “were selected on the basis alone of the purported endorsement by the supporting legislators.”
7. Despite existing laws and administrative regulations, the COA Report found that the legislator's power to select the NGO came without public bidding as “required under GPPB Resolution No. 12-2007”.
8. A total of 82 releases were made to NGO's, reflecting the sum of Php6.156 Billion. In complete defiance of existing rules and regulations, the COA Report found that of these recipient NGOs, Six (6) were incorporated by the legislators themselves or their relatives.
9. Projects were not advertised and simply “awarded to suppliers identified by the legislator and/or of questionable legal and physical existence.”
10. Fifty-four (54) infrastructure projects were constructed “in private lots without any document to support the turn over of such properties to the government."
Oral arguments before the Supreme Court for the abolition of the "Pork Barrel System" is scheduled on October 8, 2013. Expect both the Executive and Legislative branches to vehemently argue for the constitutionality of this vicious practice.
Let us maintain our vigilance against the repeated and continuous plunder of taxpayers' money. Please repost so that others may be enlightened.
4. Funds were released to implementing agencies "for no specific purpose or for projects outside of the agencies' mandated functions."
5. The implementing agencies used the funds without due regard to existing rules and regulations. Substantial amounts were transferred to NGO's without any appropriation law or ordinance authorising such transfer and were used for projects not eligible under the program. Worse, the reported projects were supported with questionable and/or spurious documents. Infrastructure projects were not effectively implemented as a number were found deficient or implemented in private lots, among others, which is prohibited under the law.
6. NGO recipients “were selected on the basis alone of the purported endorsement by the supporting legislators.”
7. Despite existing laws and administrative regulations, the COA Report found that the legislator's power to select the NGO came without public bidding as “required under GPPB Resolution No. 12-2007”.
8. A total of 82 releases were made to NGO's, reflecting the sum of Php6.156 Billion. In complete defiance of existing rules and regulations, the COA Report found that of these recipient NGOs, Six (6) were incorporated by the legislators themselves or their relatives.
9. Projects were not advertised and simply “awarded to suppliers identified by the legislator and/or of questionable legal and physical existence.”
10. Fifty-four (54) infrastructure projects were constructed “in private lots without any document to support the turn over of such properties to the government."
Oral arguments before the Supreme Court for the abolition of the "Pork Barrel System" is scheduled on October 8, 2013. Expect both the Executive and Legislative branches to vehemently argue for the constitutionality of this vicious practice.
Let us maintain our vigilance against the repeated and continuous plunder of taxpayers' money. Please repost so that others may be enlightened.
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