Who is she?

The Commission on Audit (COA) has uncovered alleged irregularities in the use of pork barrel or Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of a female senator for a trade fair in 2013.

      

In a 2014 report released yesterday, state auditors said the legislator—not identified by name except for the pronoun ‘her’—gave P4 million to the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM).

      

The money was meant to finance a so-called Indigenous Peoples HIBLA event in 2013 but P455,990 of the total amount was allegedly used contrary to COA Circular No. 94-013.

      

State auditors said the expenses “were deemed irregular and unnecessary” because it was the office of the senator that undertook the procurement instead of the CITEM as implementing agency.

      

The COA report said the procurement process for various expenses and selection and/or endorsement of suppliers for expenses were undertaken by the lawmaker’s office as the source agency.

      

State auditors said documents stating the purpose and agreement with media recipients for the grant of gift checks, proof of delivery of required service by media recipients and acknowledgement receipt by the recipients of the gift checks were also absent.

      

The audit team said a check payment for reimbursement of expenses for gift checks in the amount of P54,000 was found payable to the senator, not to the supplier, “hence, may be considered as an irregular transaction.” –End-

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