Honoraria for Cebu university officials ordered stopped

MANILA, Philippines - Saying the practice is irregular, the Commission on Audit (COA) has ordered officials of the Cebu Technological University (CTU) to stop giving themselves honoraria.

In a 2012 report released recently, state auditors said CTU officials received a total of P7,267,130 in honoraria from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 last year without statutory authority in violation of the Constitution, Compensation Law and General Appropriations Act.

The audit team also cited provisions of the Government Auditing and Accounting Manual, Government Auditing Code of the Philippines and COA Circular 2013-003 dated Jan. 30, 2013.

“Government officials and employees shall be entitled only to allowances, incentives and other benefits expressly provided by law and other statutory authority, and the aforementioned rules and regulations,” state auditors said.

“We recommend that management stop the payment of unauthorized allowances, incentives, honoraria and other fringe benefits which have no legal basis and does not conform with laws, rules and regulations,” the COA report stated.