ILAGAN, ISABELA – The Commission on Audit (COA) has ordered Isabela officials to liquidate accumulated cash advances amounting to P31.25 million last year, according to a 2007 COA report.

Government auditors, led by Esperanza Baliton, regional cluster director, said the unliquidated cash advances were not authorized under a COA circular issued on Feb. 10, 2007.

The COA asked Gov. Maria Gracia Cielo Padaca to direct the immediate settlement of the cash advances and urged her to impose legal sanctions on concerned officials to force them to liquidate their respective cash advances. The COA report was only released recently.

Padaca was not available for comment as she and other concerned officials were in Canada on an official visit.

Paul Fernandez, provincial administrator, said he wanted to read the COA report before issuing statement.

The COA found out that at least P5.12 million in financial assistance and subsidies were given to different local government units during the 2007 elections.

The COA urged the Isabela government to observe the rules in the release of public funds during the election period and to direct their recipients to submit a report of completion of the funded projects.

The funds were spent for the repair of roads as well as construction of barangay halls, bridges, day care centers and drainage canals. A portion of the money was also spent for artesian wells.

Isabela officials said the provincial government did not violate the ban on expenditures of public funds during the election period.