Mandaue’s P125 million rice purchase questioned

CEBU, Philippines —   The city government of Mandaue procured rice worth P124.98 million last year sans complete documents, the Commission on Audit (COA) said.

The audit body said the city spent P124,977,000 for the purchase of rice from six suppliers from April 16, 2020 to July 19, 2020 as relief assistance in response to COVID-19 pandemic.

But the procurements lacked distribution lists or lists of recipients duly noted by the city’s Department of Social Welfare Services.

This, COA, in its 2020 audit report, said was contrary to Presidential Decree No. 1445 (Government Auditing Code of the Philippines), which provides that “claims against government funds shall be supported with complete documentation.”

With the absence of the lists of recipients, it said, the local government unit may find difficulty in accounting for the goods and proving that these were all distributed to the constituents.

The 124.98 million was sourced from the Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Fund (P73.5 million), Development Fund (P11 million) and Bayanihan Grant to Cities and Municipalities (P40.48 million).

COA recommended and the city agreed to submit the distribution lists duly signed by the actual recipients/beneficiaries in accordance with PD 1445 to “prove regularity of the transactions”.

Aside from lack of documents, the audit team also found out that purchase of rice amounting to P88.9 million was awarded to an unqualified supplier.

“Thus, negotiation of the most advantageous price may not be achieved which is prejudicial to the interest of the government,” said COA.

COA told the city and those persons responsible for the said transaction to submit an explanation or justification on the deficiencies.

Purchase Order

Moreover, COA also found out that the delivery of various goods totaling P74,563,164.50 was made ahead of the date when the purchase order (PO)was received by the supplier, thereby “casting doubt on the validity of the transaction, resulting in the irregular disbursement of government funds.”

The city government, in response, explained that at the time of the procurement, the continuing rise of confirmed cases of COVID-19, the serious threat to health, safety and lives of our countrymen, led the declaration of state of national emergency, and ultimately to the imposition of mandatory community quarantine or lockdowns.

It further explained that had the LGU insisted upon the supplier to await its receipt of PO before making the deliveries, the local government would be doing its constituents an “unforgivable disservice of the vilest kind – abandoning them and making them wait, in times of crisis”.

 “It was against this backdrop surrounded by extreme urgency that the City Government had asked the supplier to make the deliveries as soon as it was determined that it had the winning bid,” the city said.

Hazard Pay

Meanwhile, COA found out that Mandaue City paid COVID-19 hazard pay to city employees, barangay workers, and Sangguniang Kabataan officials totaling to P14.51 million from March 30 to May 31, 2020.

But the hazard pay was not supported with written authority from the head of agency, said COA.

The city explained that the city mayor issued a Memorandum dated March 25, 2020 authorizing the employees and workers to physically report to work during the implementation of the enhanced community quarantine.

The LGU also assured that the grant of hazard pay did not exceed the Personnel Service limitation and available allotment and the necessary entry to correct the recording will be complied with by the city accountant. —KQD (FREEMAN)