THE Commission on Audit on Monday said the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process committed multiple irregularities in its vehicle rentals in 2014 amounting to P45,327,718.
Auditors said OPAPP rented 294 vehicles last year, 89 units on a monthly basis and 205 on “per activity” arrangement.
“These were in addition to 56 vehicles owned by the agency,” it said.
According to CoA, the OPAPP’s financial plan and schedule of expenses under its own 2014 budget showed only P7.97 million appropriated for rent of motor vehicles, but such limitation was not observed as actual spending on car rentals showed an excess of 469 percent or P37.36 million.
To cover the shortfall, OPAPP channeled funds from other programs without the prior approval of the Department of Budget and Management as mandated under paragraphs 3.3 and 12 of the National Budget Circular No. 446 of 1995, state auditors said.
“We verified compliance of OPAPP to the above requirements and found that 89 motor vehicles rented on a monthly basis for calendar year 2014 were not covered by an authority from the DBM. The necessity of renting 294 motor vehicles cannot be adequately established since the purposes or activities were not always indicated in the supporting documents,” CoA said.
It required the OPAPP to submit the records of all vehicle rentals transacted by the agency in 2014 in two letters dated Jan. 16 and Feb. 23.
Nevertheless, the OPAPP was able to present documents only for 37 hired vehicles—20 in Mindanao and 17 in Metro Manila.
Auditors noted OPAPP had 46 available parking slots for its personnel with 17 located in the basement of its office building and 29 others located on Malayan Plaza on ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center in Pasig City.
With 29 agency-owned vehicles being used by the OPAPP-central office and the additional 17 rentals assigned in the National Capital Region, it said 46 parking slots were already fully occupied.
“The numerous vehicles utilized by OPAPP on its day to day operations could be regarded as unconscionable and excessive under COA Circular No. 2012-003. We recommended that the management
explain/justify the necessity of renting said 294 vehicles,” the Commission said.
Liquidation documents submitted by OPAPP on its vehicle rental expenses involving 99 vehicles showed questionable registration details when verified with the database of the Land Transportation
Office.
“We confirmed the 20 rented vehicles provided by OPAPP to the regional auditors but received information on seven vehicles only in April 2014. Plate numbers UZZ 442 and PQU 222 for Toyota Fortuner and Mitsubishi Montero, respectively, were not yet manufactured as of April 1, 2015,” the report read.