'Ampatuan, staff used spurious receipts to reimburse P2.5 billion ARMM funds'

MANILA, Philippines -  Detained former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan and at least 10 of his former staff used spurious receipts and invoices to support disbursements of some P2.559 billion of regional funds in 2008 and 2009, according to the Commission on Audit (COA).

In its Special Audit report, COA reported that some transactions might be considered fictitious as these were supported with spurious receipts and invoices. The audit covered the period of January 2008 to September 2009 and was conducted from Feb. 1 to Dec. 20, 2010.

While funds were released to settle obligations of six line agencies of the ARMM, COA said officials of the Office of the Regional Governor, whose signatures appeared to have been scanned by a computer, signed all documents supporting payments.

“There were no documents to prove that the goods and services were received by the concerned six line agencies,” COA reported.

COA also found out that 10 alleged suppliers/business establishments were not licensed to operate at the ARMM at the time of the transactions while five others have questionable capability to deliver the reported purchases/services.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo said the COA findings would be used as basis of the filing of graft charges against Ampatuan and his former staff in ARMM.

Robredo cited the need to dig further into the records on the use of funds in the ARMM following the audit made by COA and DILG showed that about P1 billion remained unaccounted for in the past administration.

The P1 billion “unaccounted funds” covered only the office of ARMM governor for the period of 2009-2010.

Robredo explained the COA is conducting four audit reviews in ARMM alone, which cover among others, the ARMM governor, disbursements of social funds, and the use of funds of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Robredo learned of the illegal use of funds in the ARMM, ranging from cash advances amounting to some P800 million, to ghost purchases. He said even catering services were fictitious, if not padded.

“Which is the reason why we wanted to return ARMM in the state auditing. There appears to be no check and balance in the use and disposition of the ARMM funds. The findings disclosed that there was a total disregard of budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and regulations,” Robredo said.– With Christina Mendez