COA affirms notices of cash disallowance

The Commission on Audit has affirmed the notices of disallowance issued against ex-Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. into the disbursements of its funds worth P58.l98 million in 2008 to 2010.

In separate decisions dated March 27 and March 29, COA’s Commission Proper junked the petitions for review filed by ex-Pagcor chairman and chief executive officer Efraim Genuino and ex-accounting department vice president Ester Hernandez that sought to lift the notices of disallowance issued against the cash assistance granted to a private foundation amounting to P31.237 million released in 2008 and P1.04 million in 2009.

COA disallowed the cash grants against Asenso Manileño Foundation Inc., the non-government organization beneficiary, in 2013 on questions about its legal existence.

COA’s Corporate Government Sector upheld both notices of disallowance in 2015.

Genuino and Hernandez still filed a petition for review before the Commission Proper.

COA chairperson Michael Aguinaldo, and Commissioners Jose Fabia and Roland Pondoc dismissed both pleas on the ground that they were filed beyond the allowable period of 180 days.

Genuino’s petition was filed 195 days after he received the disallowance while Hernandez took 495 days.

Invoking Presidential Decree No. 1445 or the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines, the state auditors maintained the disallowance was “final and executory.”

In a third decision dated March 28, 2019, the Commission also upheld the disallowance issued against the Pagcor’s purchase of 89,000 tickets of the movie “Baler” worth P26.7 million in December.

Held culpable for the transaction were Genuino, Hernandez, and Pagcor executives Philip Lo, Manuel Roxas, Gamaliel Cordoba, Rene Figueroa and Michael Cendaña.