COA calls out PNP's low spending of anti-insurgency funds in 2020

MANILA, Philippines — State auditors have flagged the Philippine National Police's low spending or only 12% of its anti-insurgency funds in 2020.

The Commission on Audit in its yearly report bared that the police force used only P86.57 million out of the P722.95 million that it received.

PNP got the said funds as member of the controversial National Task Force to End Local Armed Communist Conflict, which had a P1.08 billion budget last year.

Several lawmakers in the past have called to defund the task force over a series of red-tagging on groups and individuals. 

COA added that P240.8 million of the entire budget from PNP were used, thus leaving a balance of P482.15 million. 

Police Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of the PNP, acknowledged the commission's report. 

But he sought to assure that the funds remain intact, and would be used "wisely" in remote areas with the presence of the armed rebels.

"The funds had gone unused not because of negligence or anomaly," he said in a statement in Filipino, as he added that it was only entirely released in October 2020.

Eleazar said the PNP has been told by the Department of Budget and Management that the NTF-ELCAC fund is a "continuing appropriation."

That would mean the police force has until December 31 this year to spend it, he said.

State auditors also called PNP's attention on a P6.67 million-procurement of goods by the Bicol regional police that was not supported with documents.

They added that the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region Police had P40 million that were not obligated due to "non-preparation of project activities."

"We will treat these as lessons learned for it not to happen in the next budget allocation and utilization," Eleazar said in Filipino.

He added that the PNP would also check if there were misgivings from their ranks on COA's findings.