The Commission on Audit has called the attention of the National Police Commission freeze the payment of P9.09-million dietary supplement allowance for its officials and employees, including contractual personnel, for lack of legal basis.
In an audit report, Napolcom spent P8.23 million for regular officials and employees and P856,000 for the vitamin allowance of the contract of service and job order personnel.
Despite an audit observation memorandum in October 2017 for a recommendation to suspend the grant, the state auditors said Napolcom still gave allowances through cash or reimbursement.
The order said only an office order from the Napolcom vice chairman and executive officer justified the dietary supplement allowance.
Napolcom told CoA that the allowance was allowed under the preventive health-care program of the Civil Service Commission and its own Administrative Order No. 402.
But state auditors said AO 402 only pertained to a medical checkup program “consisting of procedures that are strictly diagnostic” and had no details on prescription drug nor dietary supplement benefits.
Napolcom, in an exit conference, said the vitamin allowance was done in good faith and meritorious.
“Funds intended for the medical check-up shall be used only for the payment of the cost of the check-up actually rendered. Thus, this benefit cannot be monetized,” CoA said.
“We recommended that management immediately stop the payment of dietary supplement allowance; and henceforth, refrain from paying any
form of allowances unless legally authorized,” the report read.