COA flags NYC over leave credits

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) has directed the National Youth Commission (NYC) to stop the practice of approving excessive leave credit monetization and travel reimbursement claims of its officials and employees, noting that the agency gave out a total of P1.669 million in such grants in 2018.

Based on COA’s 2018 audit report on the NYC, the commission granted a total of 371 days or P680,675.91 in compensatory time-off (CTO) and special day off (SDO) leave credits to 67 employees for their official travel undertaken on weekends or on holidays.

The COA said “official travels that fell on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays are not included” in the allowable reasons for the grant of CTO and SDO provided under the Civil Service Commission and Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Joint Circular No. 2 Series of 2004.

Furthermore, the COA said the CTO and SDO credits were granted even if the employees were already given per diem or travel allowance.

“Verification disclosed that a total of 371 days of absence incurred by 67 employees were compensated by CTO/SDO which ranged from one to 22 days per employee or the total amount of P680,675.91,” the COA report read.

“Further, we noted that travels on a Saturday/Sunday were allotted for travel back to official station/residence and were paid with the corresponding per diem/travel allowance,” it added.

The COA directed the NYC to deduct from the concerned employees’ accumulated leave credits or from their salaries the availed CTOs/SDOs.

Monetization of VL, SL

The audit body said the NYC also allowed its employees to monetize 50 percent or a total of P858,926.63 of their accumulated vacation leave (VL) and sick leave (SL) credits despite “unjustifiable” reasons.

The COA pointed out that while Executive Order 292 (Administrative Code of the Philippines) and COA Circular No. 2012-01 dated June 14, 2012, both allowed the monetization of 50 percent or more of the accumulated VL/SL credits of a government employee, it should be due to “valid and justifiable reasons.”

Among the justifiable reasons provided under EO 292 and COA Circular No. 2012-01 were for health, medical and hospital need of the employee and the immediate members of family; financial aid and assistance brought about by force majeure events such as calamities, typhoons, fire, earthquake and accidents that affect the life, limb and property of the employee and his/her immediate family. – With Artemio Dumlao