THE Commission on Audit told the Cebu Provincial Government to return the unused Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) given to them from 2006 to 2013 back to the national treasury.
In their 2017 annual audit report, state auditors found P41.7 million worth of unutilized PDAF that were downloaded to the Cebu Provincial Government since 2007 have not been reverted to the national treasury despite a 2013 Supreme Court decision declaring the use of the funds as “unconstitutional.”
State auditors also found that some PDAF amounting to P48.5 million were still disbursed by the Province even after the 2013 SC decision.
But Provincial Legal Officer Orvi Ortega said that what was prohibited by the SC was using PDAF that were transmitted to the Province just after their 2013 decision.
Ortega said that there some PDAF transmitted to the Province that were already covered with Notices of Cash Allocations (NCAs) and can be used only on priority projects identified prior to the 2013 SC decision.
State auditors noted that on the year when the SC decision was made, they found that the Province still have unutilized PDAF worth P89.9 million.
But state auditors found that from 2014 until last year, the Provincial Government disbursed around P48.5 million of the unused PDAF even though the 2013 SC decision ordered that they will be returned to national treasury.
This includes P46.8 million from the PDAF of former Cebu 3rd District Rep. Pablo Garcia; P663, 312 from the PDAF of Cebu 4th District Rep. Benhur Salimbangon; P866, 850 from the PDAF of former Cebu 3rd District Rep. Pablo John Garcia; and P190, 842.30 from the PDAF of Senator Franklin Drilon.
While the P41. 7 million currently unused PDAF includes funds from the offices of former Senators Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Juan Ponce Enrile, Manuel Villar and Pia Cayetano; incumbent Senators Francis Pangilinan, Loren Legarda, Antonio Trillanes, former Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño, and former Cebu 6th District representative, now Mandaue City Mayor, Gabriel Luis Quisumbing.
The currently unused PDAF were supposed to be disbursed for various infrastructure and social projects for the Province’s towns and cities.
“The non-reversion of the funds to the National Treasury deprived the National Government of much needed funds to finance its other priority projects. The unutilized amounts have been aging three to over 10 years,” state auditors said.
In his comment to the report, Ortega urged COA to hold audit decision on the matter or issue a notice of disallowance on the disbursements of the funds as he has sent a motion for clarification before the SC to settle the matter. Ortega also told reporters that what was declared unconstitutional by the 2013 SC decision and be returned to the Bureau of Treasury are those which are only covered by Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) because there are no transfers of cash yet to the recipient local government units. (JKV)