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COA calls out 14 DOJ execs for frequent travels abroad


The Commission on Audit (COA) has called out 14 officials of the Department of Justice (DOJ) for their supposed frequent travels abroad in 2018 where they used up P6.19 million of the P7.8-million traveling expenses of the agency.

"The audit team noted that there were 14 DOJ officials/employees who were frequently in attendance to various or multiple foreign meetings/fora/dialogues ranging from two to 12 times during the audit year 2018," the COA said in its 2018 audit report.

The 14 attendees include Undersecretary Marrk Perete, who traveled to Vienna, Austria and Vientiane, Laos; and Assistant Secretary George Ortha II, who had been to Malaysia; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Vienna, Austria last year.

Other participants named by COA are state counsel Analiza Ite-Manito, Bernadette Ongoco, Grace Estrada, Jomarlli Ustarez, Ma. Pamelyn Omalin, Marlyn Angeles, Mary Grace Quintana, Mary Grace Pulido, Mildred Bernandette Alvor, Nancy Lozaco, Rosario Elenea Laborte-Cuevas, and Maria Laureen Suran.

The report said these officials traveled to countries such as Singapore, Nepal, Australia, Thailand, and New Zealand.

The COA said the DOJ spent P5.55 million for sending two or more representatives abroad to attend various conferences and summits, including those organized by the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The COA further said that P771,643.30 worth of travel expenses had incomplete supporting documents, while the DOJ purchased airline tickets worth P1 million from travel agencies instead of complying with the Government Fares Agreement (GFA).

The GFA is an initiative of the Department of Budget and Management to ensure a more efficient and cost effective processing of airfares for government officials.

The COA warned that any airline ticket purchased outside the GFA may be the subject of disallowance.

The commission thus directed the DOJ to submit its guidelines in selecting the officials it will send abroad and justify the importance of agency representatives to such events.

State auditors also recommended for the DOJ to submit the documentary requirements in the P771,643.30 expenses and stop procuring airlines tickets from travel agencies.

DOJ side

During the exit conference, DOJ management told the COA that the expenses were not considered as "unnecessary expenditures" since its attendance are part of the Philippines' obligation as a member of ASEAN or as a state party in various treaties and international agreements.

Management said all official travels went through the regular process and were subjected to the approval of Secretary Menardo Guevarra.

It added the required documents were already sent to the COA for validation. —KBK, GMA News

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