The Commission on Audit has called the attention of the Office of the Solicitor General for its expenses on foreign trips, office supplies and equipment, and seminars and meetings in expensive hotels and restaurants in violation of government audit and procurement rules.
Solicitor General Jose Calida was told to stop holding seminars and meetings in hotels in Makati City, and hold them instead in its office or in government-owned properties to save money.
In its 2018 annual audit report, the Commission flagged the OSG for spending P1.2 million for the payment of services and the rent of spaces in Abuelas Restaurant, IM Hotel, World Hotel Makati and El Cielito Tourist Inn.
The OSG’s most expensive activities were a quality management system documentation training and an awareness seminar at IM Hotel that cost the government P252,000 and P243,000, respectively.
“The seminars/trainings could have been done in the office premises, government facilities or in hotels and restaurants used for government sponsored international conventions, meetings and the like that would charge lower costs,” the report read.
OSG made payments despite lack of supporting documents and even without the approval of Calida or his duly authorized representative.
OSG, for its part, said the conduct of their events in some Makati hotels and restaurant were “duly canvassed” and “passed the scrutiny” of its bids and awards committee.
CoA questioned the “doubtful” transactions of OSG involving P105,471.18 worth of honoraria and trainings fees for resource speakers for lack of supporting documents that they received the fees.
“Review of the disbursement vouchers and supporting documents revealed that the payment for honorarium of officials/employees of other government offices acting as resource person were not supported with proper and complete documents,” the report said.
CoA said P7.128 million was spent on plane tickets for foreign travel without complete documents, such as three quotations from travel agencies or its equivalent, a violation in the provisions of the Audit Code of the Philippines.
“In addition, some itinerants were allowed to reimburse their airplane ticket without the price quotation and abstract of quotations attached to the claim,” the report said.
Calida received a copy of the audit report on May 10.
Based on the audit report, P5.510 million was spent on ordinary office supplies and equipment through the alternative mode of procurement without the necessary postings in the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System website.
