COA cracks whip on Estancia town
Iloilo's "Alaska of the Philippines" needs a major austerity measure particularly on its food expense charged to the town's coffers. While at it, over P3.5 million spent for "job orders" were discovered and deemed by government auditors to be duplication of work thus, "waste of funds."
As such, attention of Mayor Rene Cordero and entire officials in the Municipality of Estancia were called with yet more adverse findings on the fiscal management here. On top of the multi-million questioned expense, improper disbursements in financial assistance and donations were uncovered. This, as government auditors also questioned understated expense account and yet other unauthorized expenditures.
On the food expense, the Commission on Audit (COA) discovered volume of transactions using the town's money for catering services and reimbursements from various functions of the town officials.
Over P1.7 million food expense were questioned with sample transactions mostly under the name of Mayor Cordero and Vice Mayor Democrito Bacos. COA wants them to explain a number of meetings some bearing "no purpose" in attached documents.
"During the year, total expenses for meals and catering services amounted to P1,184,964. Meals and catering services were served during meetings, conferences and other events," the COA wrote. "As a result, the delivery of basic services and the implementation of infrastructure projects were affected."
COA recommended that meal expenditures and catering services be minimized.
In the job orders questioned, COA noted how such formed part of the major expense for Estancia. A total of 87 job orders were issued to 69 laborers, 4 port cleaners, 23 traffic enforcers and 1 agricultural technologist.
"Verification of job description or work details of these personnel hired through job orders showed that there is duplication of work and regular employees. There is a risk that people hired through job orders may not be motivated to work satisfactorily since they do not have the benefits enjoyed by regular employees. Moreover, there is a risk that the benefit of regular employees may be affected since substantial amount of funds was spent to personnel hired through job orders," the report added.