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The National Auditor ruled that former PCGG chief accountant Lourdes Navarro cannot be absolved of responsibility for the denial of grants amounting to P8.3 million
MANILA, Philippines — The request of former Presidential Commission on Good Governance (PCGG) chief accountant Lourdes Navarro to be exempted from liability for tax deductions related to cash incentives totaling P8.3 million paid to agency officials in 2012 and 2013 was denied, with the Commission on Audit (COA) saying it wanted her to shed some light on the transactions.
The full court of auditors said that as the chief accountant, Navarro “should have been aware of the laws and rules governing the granting of impermissible benefits when he certified the supporting documentation on the Disbursement Voucher (DV).”
In its 10-page ruling, the comptroller’s office said Navarro should have informed his superiors that the expenditures were illegal. Without documentation to back that up, Navarro’s claim that he acted in good faith falls apart.
The prohibited amounts include: P3.4 million in gift checks for PCGG officials and employees, P1.65 million in disaster assistance, P1.1 million in goodwill awards, and P1.4 million in collective bargaining agreement awards.
However, the appeal of PCGG administrator Conrado Afable was granted because he only released the funds by preparing salary envelopes and distributing benefits to intended recipients.
The COA said Afable was not a certifying official and did not exercise discretionary authority, so his duties were not directly relevant to the reasons for the rejection. – Rappler.com
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