COA questions Manila solon on pork barrel mess

The Commission on Audit has required the office of Manila (2nd District) Rep. Jaime Lopez to explain anomalies uncovered by its auditors in the disbursement of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) more commonly referred to as “pork barrel." A review of the accounts of the Department of Health for 2006 revealed that Lopez released P350,000 as medical assistance fund to the Tondo Medical Center (TMC) but the audit team under COA Auditor IV Richard Pardiñez reported some disbursements from the funds violated government guidelines. Using the PDAF allotment, the TMC purchased 13 units of nebulizers for a total cost of P58,000 under the classification of “hospital equipment." Nebulizers are used by patients with respiratory problems. “Later, 11 units were withdrawn by the congressman’s staff but [was] recorded in the books as outright expense of the hospital. Such practice violated the provisions of the 2005 General Appropriations Act, as re-enacted for 2006, and the DOH memorandum circular no. 2006-0009 dated February 1, 2006," auditors pointed out. The rules require that financial assistance released to hospitals/medical centers out of PDAF “shall be utilized only for medical expenses of indigent patients confined at the hospitals." “Procurement of equipment out of PDAF was not among the purposes for which such financial assistance was granted, which is to pay for the cost of medicines and other medical services rendered to indigent patients," the COA said. The COA report recommended that the office of Lopez be required by the DOH to submit a report about where the 11 nebulizers were delivered and to produce acknowledgment receipts from the beneficiaries. - GMANews.TV