THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency has been cleared of any accountability for the loss of at least 14 k-9 dogs worth P764,000 each or a total of P10,696,000 in 2002 until 2011.
The Commission on Audit granted the plea of then PDEA chief Arturo Cacdac Jr. to reconsider its finding holding PDEA culpable for the undocumented deaths of four security dogs, worth P3.057 million.
The Commission’s chairman Michael Aguinaldo, and Commissioners Jose Fabia and Isabel Agito all agreed to overturn the agency’s unfavorable ruling against PDEA.
They anchored their decision on the certifications the duly-licensed government veterinarians confirming the date and causes of the dogs’ deaths.
The four animals belonged to a batch of 14 male dogs—12 Belgian Malinois and two Dutch shepherds—that were turned over to PDEA in 2002 by the defunct National Drug Law Enforcement and Prevention Coordinating Center.
The specialized dogs and their handlers were tasked to inspect seaports, airports and bus terminals for shipment of illegal drugs and other prohibited substances.
In 2002 to 2011, the dogs died one after another due to disease and old age.
CoA earlier issued notices of disallowance to PDEA over the failure of veterinarians from the Armed Forces of the Philippines to submit necropsy reports on time to CoA as to the causes of the animals’ deaths.
Cacdac challenged CoA’s notices of disallowances and submitted the necessary documents to show proof of the dogs’ deaths.
“This Commission lends credence to the contents of the certificates issued by government officials, they being public documents. Public documents are admissible in evidence even without further proof of their due execution and genuineness …[based on] the principle of presumption of regularity,” the CoA said.