EDITORIAL - Fund diversion

Every year government agencies expend a great deal of time and effort in preparing detailed budget proposals for approval by Congress. Once approved, the funds should be used for their avowed purposes. Failure to do so indicates, at best, a haphazard way of planning programs and projects for implementation. At worst, government officials can be held liable for the diversion or misuse of public funds and corruption.

As Congress deliberates on the proposed national budget for 2009, the Commission on Audit is making available to the public its reports on various agencies’ utilization of their respective appropriations in the previous year. One COA report recommends the filing of criminal and administrative charges against officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways for the diversion of P2.15 billion meant for road projects. The funds, according to the COA report, were instead used by the DPWH for the rehabilitation of multipurpose buildings of private cooperatives, purchase of office equipment and fuel as well as the payment of wages and personnel benefits.

State auditors said P4.45 million released to the DPWH regional official in Metro Manila that was meant for the improvement of Gov. Forbes street in Manila was instead used to pay the contractor of the reconstruction of the Tullahan bridge and completion of the approaches to the bridge in Valenzuela.

With the annual national budget never enough to deliver decent basic services, the government should see to it that public funds are used judiciously and with transparency. This is not possible when budget proposals are tossed aside as soon as funding is approved, and government officials simply do as they please with their agencies’ fund allocations. This type of utilization of public funds also leaves the door open for corruption.

The DPWH in particular should make a greater effort to bring order, transparency and accountability to its utilization of public funds. The department consistently competes with the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs for the worst ranking in all surveys on the most corrupt government agency. If the DPWH is not interested in streamlining its fund utilization, the COA recommendation should be followed and criminal and administrative charges should be filed against DPWH officials.