DOJ flagged over selection of participants for overseas events

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) has questioned the selection process of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in sending participants for official events abroad, noting that 79 percent or P6.192 million of its P7.829-million total foreign travel expenses last year were incurred by the same officers.

“In our review of the liquidation reports of cash advances and audit of the account, traveling expenses – foreign, totaling P7,829,979.06... 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 2 to 12 times during the audit year 2018 with a total amount spent of P6,192,115.67,” the COA’s annual audit report on the DOJ showed.

The audit body said of the total foreign travel expenses, P771,643.30 was “not supported with complete documentation.”

The COA also noted that airline tickets amounting to P1.060 million were procured through a travel agency instead of through the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service’s Government Fares Agreement (GFA).

“Any procurement of airline tickets outside GFA may be subject to COA findings or disallowances,” the audit body warned the DOJ.

The 14 DOJ officials identified by COA as having repeated foreign travels in 2018 were Office for Alternative Dispute Resolution officer-in-charge executive director Bernadette Ongoco with 12 foreign trips; state counsel V Marlyn Angeles, seven trips; state counsel IV Mary Grace Quintana, five; assistant secretary George Ortha II, four; state counsel IV Analiza Ite-Manito, four; state counsel IV Grace Estrada, four; senior state counsel V Rosario Elena Laborte-Cuevas, three; state counsel V Mildred Bernadette Alvor, three; state counsel III Nancy Lozano, three; DOJ Undersecretary Markk Perete, two; OADR-Public Information and Promotion Division officer-in-charge deputy director Mary Grace Pulido Sadian, two; state counsel IV Ma. Pamelyn Omalin, two; state counsel III Maria Laureen Suan, two and state counsel I Jomarlli Ustarez, two trips.

The COA recommended to the DOJ to submit policy or guidelines/procedures pertinent to the selection process of sending participants/attendees to foreign meetings/conferences/fora/dialogues.

It also directed the department to identify the “advantages/benefits derived by the department in attendance to the said meetings or events.”

In a reply to the audit report, the DOJ said the attendance of its officials in several functions abroad are necessary pursuant to the country’s commitments as member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). 

The DOJ said some events were also in connection with treaties or international agreements, trade and investment issues or executive agreements to which the Philippines is a party or will become a party or signatory.

The DOJ said it had already submitted all the documentary requirements to the COA for the audit body’s validation.

“The submitted documents are subject to further review and evaluation,” the COA said in a rejoinder.

‘Official travels’ 

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he would trim down the size of delegations attending international con-ferences.  

Guevarra, however, said that the travels made by the 14 officials and employees were official.

“Those are official travels to international conferences of a continuing nature, like periodic sessions of United Nation agencies, Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional meetings and bilateral negotiations on legal cooperation agreements,” he said.

“Participation in those international events is useful to our government and to the DOJ in particular,” he added.   – With Evelyn Macairan