PDEA denies P74-M unsupported travel expenses

“I would like to clarify, for it will bring misconception to the public that public funds were being used in violation of the existing rules of the Commission on Audit (COA),” PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said, adding that only PHP22.45 million worth of liquidations reports lacked documents. (PNA File Photo)

MANILA — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) denied on Friday reports that it has incurred around PHP74 million in local travel expenses in 2018, noting that the agency only incurred PHP22.45 million travel expenses last year.

“I would like to clarify, for it will bring misconception to the public that public funds were being used in violation of the existing rules of the Commission on Audit (COA),” PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said, adding that only PHP22.45 million worth of liquidations reports lacked documents.

The COA, in its 2018 audit report, said PHP51.

83 million in PDEA expenses were unsupported with official receipts while the other PHP22.

45 million worth of liquidation reports had insufficient supporting documents.

“We are adhering to all COA rules and regulations.

However, pagkabayad naming sa suppliers through bank deposits, hindi na sila nagbibigay ng official receipts (whenever we pay our suppliers through bank deposits, we were never given official receipts),” Aquino added.

Aquino said on several occasions, he asked the COA to reconsider check issuance as the mode of payment to make sure that PDEA will be issued Official Receipt (OR) upon release of payment.

To date, PDEA has sent communications to all suppliers to immediately issue the lacking official receipts.