Chiz warns vs.
backsliding amid COA irregularity findings
By Office of Senator Chiz
Escudero
April 15, 2013
PASAY CITY – Senator Chiz
Escudero reminded public servants not to backslide from the straight
path policy of President Benigno Aquino III amid results of Commission
on Audit (CoA) audits finding excessive allowances and benefits
persisted among agencies and state firms.
Escudero cited a CoA report
showing the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and the
Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) continuing to grant
allowances and benefits to their officers and employees either in
violation of the law or without authority from President Aquino. (Full
report may be viewed and downloaded at www.coa.gov.ph/Audit/AAR.htm)
“There must be no let-up in
the campaign for good governance and anti-corruption. The ‘daang
matuwid’ policy of the President is in full effect, there is no room
for backsliding,” Escudero said.
The CoA report on MWSS for
2011 stated that various allowances and benefits on that year worth
P6.39 million was P5.88 million more than what was allowed in its
operating budget.
Escudero said that it
appears the current officials of both agencies are taking a U-turn
back to the crooked path with their requests for a status quo on the
excessive perks their officials and employees are enjoying.
He enjoined the CoA to
enforce its mandate of reporting irregularities among state agencies
and corporation and be aggressive in recommending appropriate actions
to halt such irregularities.
Escudero said that CoA also
recently reported that officials and employees of the Department of
Energy (DOE) were also found to have received more than P60.3 million
in unauthorized yearend financial benefits and subsidies in 2010 and
2011.
The CoA said Malacańang did
not authorize the release of the money for yearend benefits and food
and utility subsidy. The CoA has asked the DOE personnel to refund the
P78,000 they each received.
“We should move forward
towards changing the culture in government and the way government
conducts its business. It cannot be business as usual anymore,”
Escudero said.
The Aquino administration’s
subsidies to government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs)
doubled in January to February this year, according to data from the
Bureau of the Treasury’s (BTr) Statistical Data Analysis Division (SDAD).
BTr data posted on its web
site showed state subsidies to GOCCs totaled P3.07 billion in the
first two months of 2013. A total of P1.53 billion in subsidies was
released during the same period last year.
The subsidies amounted to
P244 million and P2.82 billion in January and February this year,
respectively.
Escudero recalled that in
the first State of the Nation Address of President Aquino, he had
condemned the misuse of government funds through the excessive
granting of perks and incentives among state agencies and firms which
he said was part of the crooked path where “for a long time, our
country lost its way.”
“Let’s not forget that just
three years ago, we were up in arms over these excessive perks. We
should not forget so easily, otherwise we run the risk of repeating
these mistakes simply because we let our guard down,” Escudero said.