Palace executive's unliquidated advances down to P48,284

MANILA, Philippines - Contrary to initial reports, a Malacañang official who failed to liquidate a total of P1.2 million in cash advances during the Arroyo administration only has P48,284 for which to account.

Eduardo Visperas, undersecretary for finance and administration of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), said the P48,284 is part of the obligations of the official – whose name was withheld – for “local travel and special projects” of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Unsettled accounts involved projects that fell under the Special Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting (SNAMM) of the previous administration.

“The still unliquidated amounts are now being settled by way of salary deductions in accordance with the provisions of the Commission on Audit Circular 97-002,” Visperas said.

COA rules provide that the salary of a government employee can be withheld if he or she fails to liquidate their cash advances within the prescribed period of 60 days from availment.

The COA discovered in December 2010 that a total of P1.2 million remained unliquidated by the Palace official from the original P2.1 million expenses.

“From the PCOO’s inception in August 2010, we have been coordinating closely with the COA resident auditor to ensure that cash advances are liquidated in a timely manner by all accountable officers concerned,” Visperas said.

The PCOO, whose head is Secretary Herminio Coloma, and the News and Information Bureau (NIB) under it, disclosed that only P34,486 out of the P445,491 cash advances for local travel “remains unliquidated to date.”

As for the P760,847 cash advances for SNAMM, only P13,797 remains unliquidated.

The NIB clarified that the media accreditation and relation officer alluded to in the June 23 STAR article “is a rank and file employee of the NIB,” who was no longer named.

“The NIB management has directed the personnel concerned to liquidate the remaining P48,284 without delay or else appropriate actions shall be taken against them,” the NIB said in a statement.