COA returns P65-M unused allocation from DAP

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MANILA – Following the controversial declaration of the unconstitutionality of certain provisions in the government’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), the Commission on Audit (COA) has returned P65.1 million unused DAP allocation to the national treasury.

COA Chairman Grace Pulido-Tan told the House of Representatives appropriations committee that the said funds were intended for the information technology (IT) equipment, including closed-circuit television cameras of the commission.

She also said that the agency received a total of P136.5 million in additional funds from Malacañang in 2011, half of which were already used for the commission’s expenses.

Tan also revealed that she did not know that the funds were coming from the administration’s DAP adding that they only learned its source when the palace disclosed the funding details after certain parts of it were declared unconstitutional by SC.

During the senate hearing, COA was told to investigate the release of P2.9 billion to Swiss customs inspection firm Societe Generale de Surveillance (SGS) through the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp..

COA was also asked to look into the P1.2 billion DAP allocated to the Home Guarantee Corp. (HGC) despite the fact that the state firm is a losing entity.