Coloma on NIB's 'excessive' phone, internet bills: It needs efficient connection -

MANILA, Philippines – Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. on Wednesday said the government’s news bureau needs efficient internet connection to function well as a response to the Commission on Audit’s (COA) report that the Palace’s News Information Bureau’s (NIB) mobile phone and internet service bills in 2015 are excessive.

“Kailangan ng ahensya ang lahat ng maaaring gamiting internet connection upang magawa nito ang mandatong magbigay ng wasto at napapanahong impormayson sa publiko at sa kaulukang mga opisyal ng pamahalaan,” Coloma said in a report by the Philippine News Agency (PNA) to defend the NIB.

NIB is mandated to provide “efficient, effective, productive, and economical services relating to the development and formulation of a domestic and foreign information program for the government, in general, and the presidency, in particular including the development of strategies for the dissemination of information on specific government programs” based on the Executive Order No. 297 S. 1987.

Coloma said NIB has responded to the audit observation.

On Monday, COA said the Palace spent too much for the agency's mobile and internet subscription as it paid P939,350.45 for 34 postpaid plans of NIB officials and employees and allowed reimbursement of prepaid mobile phone allowance in 2015. It added that three internet service providers were paid P1,794,770.79.

The state auditors said that the mobile plans of its officials range from P1,500 to 3,500 a month with one official under a P5,000 a month plan.

COA said NIB has no written policy on the issuance utilization of postpaid plans and prepaid allowance that manifesting lapses on internal control. – Joann Santiago with reports from Philstar.com/Rosette Adel