The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has denied a P15.3-million demand payment made by Impact Hub Manila for expenses incurred in the 2022 presidential and vice presidential debates due to lack of documentary requirements.
The Comelec, in a letter dated May 19, 2023 and signed by executive director Teofisto Elnas Jr, noted that requests for payment should be made with an invoice. It added that “claims for payment not compliant with the pertinent procurement, accounting and auditing rules will not be processed” as this could result in disallowance by the Commission on Audit.
“In this regard, the Commission is constrained to deny Impact Hub’s claim for P15,300,000,” it added.
Impact Hub Manila tried to collect from the poll body last week.
In a letter dated April 27, 2023, Impact Hub said the memorandum of agreement it entered with Comelec still stands even if the poll body “decided to unilaterally reschedule and eventually cancel the debates.”
Impact Hub Manila warned that it will “avail legal remedies under the law to recover the debt and to protect the company’s interest” should Comelec fail to respond or to make a payment arrangement within the next five days upon receipt of the collection notice.
In its reply, the Comelec invoked the rules provided by the Generic Procurement Manual Volume 2-Procurement of Goods and Services, which states that requests for payment “shall be made in writing, accompanied by an invoice describing, as appropriate, the goods delivered and/or services performed, by documents submitted pursuant to the contract, and upon fulfillment of other obligations stipulated in the contract as well as upon inspection and acceptance of the goods by the appropriate Technical and Inspection Committee.”
Elnas said the payment necessitates that the supplier fulfilled its obligations in accordance with the contract and delivery of goods or performance of service, must be duly substantiated, and found compliant with the terms and conditions of the contract.
“Claims for payment not compliant with the pertinent procurement, accounting, and auditing rules will not be processed,” Elnas said.
“Otherwise, such payment can be the subject of disallowance by the Commission on Audit, together with its concomitant consequences, i.e. criminal, civil, and administrative liabilities,” the Comelec official added.
Privately owned Impact Hub Manila provided the poll body logistical and technical support for the conduct of the debates during the campaign period, and contracted the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila for the five-part “town hall.”
However, the last two parts of the series had to be rescheduled and were instead sponsored by the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas after Impact Hub found itself in a payment mess with hotel management due to misunderstandings.