BSP ordered to take back bonuses granted to outsourced personnel

MANILA, Philippines - Noting that public funds should not be given away as bonuses or donations to non-government employees, the Commission on Audit (COA) has directed the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to have over P23.156 million in anniversary and Christmas bonuses granted to its outsourced personnel last year refunded.

The amount included food subsidies given in 2014 “neither for public purpose nor done in connection with the BSP’s governmental functions.”

If such bonuses were allowed, BSP would have to pay donor’s tax amounting to P6.947 million, state auditors said in a report released yesterday.

Since BSP funds are also considered public funds, state auditors said “the gratuitous grant of financial assistance in the form of donation to non-BSP and outsourced personnel is violative of Section 4 (2) of PD 1445 (Government Auditing Code of the Philippines), which aptly provides that ‘government funds or property shall be spent or used solely for public purposes’.”

The COA report said the BSP’s Human Resource Management Division should require the claimants of the bonuses and food subsidies to allow the refund of the funds.