Lacson hits senators over failure to file liquidation of expenses

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday criticized fellow senators for their failure to submit liquidation of their expenses before the Commission on Audit (COA).

Lacson, chairman of the Senate committee on accounts, showed disappointment over how his fellow legislators spent their maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) last year and the first half of 2013.

He said some of his colleagues went ballistic early this year over the issue of alleged misuse of funds by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and yet they have not complied with the COA rules on liquidation of their MOOE.

Lacson also revealed the COA has issued another guideline that puts the threshold amount to P500,000 for liquidation by certification, starting January 2013.  

Before Enrile resigned last Thursday, Lacson said he tried to route the new COA memo for notification of the rest of the senators but nobody seemed interested.

Enrile resigned last week apparently after taking the brunt of criticism on how the Senate’s funds are allocated, especially after sibling Senators Pia and Alan Peter Cayetano, and Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Miriam Defensor-Santiago criticized the Senate leader for the uneven distribution of supposed Christmas bonuses last year.

The issues against Enrile also affected the senatorial bid of his son Jack last May.

Due to the controversy, Lacson said that all MOOE funds are now subject to itemized liquidation. The senators used to liquidate expenses by certification.

“Now there is no process of liquidation by certification. That’s the result of the debates on the additional MOOE. The COA issued stricter rules on the spot,” Lacson said over dzBB radio yesterday.

According to Lacson, the COA started implementing item by item liquidation of MOOE since Dec. 1, 2012.

Lacson also lashed out at critics who even called for a private audit but are themselves unable to comply with the stricter COA rules. 

He did not mention them by name but it was Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano who harped about private audit at the height of the controversy.

“There are some who challenged the Senate to undergo private audit, while others called for liquidation for transparency... I collected all my receipts and liquidation instruments, and submitted them to COA,” Lacson said in Filipino.

According to Lacson, the COA is awaiting the rest of the senators to submit their liquidation reports for 2012 in preparation for the release of its audit report. 

Lacson warned his colleagues that they might face charges before the Office of the Ombudsman if any of them fails to comply with the liquidation requirements.

At the height of the Senate funds controversy, COA Chairperson Ma. Grace Pulido-Tan issued a memorandum requiring all senators to liquidate MOOE funds.  

Tan even met with Enrile and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to make sure that stricter liquidation rules are observed.

Lacson dared Enrile’s critics to be first to show to the public how they spent their funds, and comply with the stricter COA requirements.

Asked if the critics should lead by example, Lacson agreed. 

“Since they were the ones who posed the challenge, they should be first to do it. Now that the audit process is being fine-tuned, how come they aren’t submitting themselves to liquidation. As in they are ignoring the COA,” he lamented.