MANILA – The Commission on Audit said as much as P5 billion in cash advances by government executives and employees remain unsettled well beyond the prescribed period.
And Rep. Roman Romulo said government officials and staff, including former heads of state-run corporations, may have put the taxpayers’ money to personal use.
“The legal presumption is as clear as day. Under the Revised Penal Code, if you are a public officer and you’ve been advanced cash, and you fail to account for the money, then you must have put it to personal use,” Romulo said.
Exasperated by the brazen disregard of the law and pertinent COA orders on the timely liquidation of all advances, Romulo now wants to hold the erring public officers instantly liable for stealing the funds obtained.
“We’ve already filed House Bill 1287, which make the infraction prima facie proof of embezzlement of the money received,” Romulo said. “The failure to settle a cash advance will be sufficient evidence that the recipient pocketed the money, unless the proof is rebutted.”
This means the Office of the Ombudsman may already initiate a criminal charge for malversation of funds, according to Romulo.
He said depending on the amount involved, malversation of public funds carries the maximum penalty of life imprisonment and perpetual disqualification from public office, plus a fine equal to the sum misused.
Also under Romulo’s bill, advances in all government offices have to be liquidated within the following prescribed deadlines – for salaries and wages – within five days after each 15th day of the month pay period; for petty operating expenses and field operating expenses – within 20 days after the end of the year; for special operations, and operating expenses or purchases of supplies, materials and the like in the amount exceeding P100,000 – within 20 days after completion of the operation or delivery and acceptance of supplies, materials and the like.
And for local travel – within five days upon the officer’s return to official station; for foreign travel – within 60 days upon return to official station; and for other advances – within six months after performance of the purpose for which the advance had been granted.
He said under a COA circular, a cash advance is settled either by returning the money if unspent, or by presenting vouchers, with details as to the items thereon paid, which must be in accord with the purpose for which the money was released, and further backed by proper receipts and other evidence of payment, subject to the result of a post-examination thereof by the auditor concerned. (Mindanao Examiner)
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