COA questions DENR over P2.4-B unliquidated funds

The Commission on Audit (COA) is pushing for an investigation and the filing of charges against officials of several government agencies for failing to liquidate a total of P2.4 billion they received from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for various projects.

In its 2017 audit report, the COA questioned why the DENR failed to compel agencies to report their expenditures for the funds.

The COA also found that about P5.4 million transferred by the Forest Management Bureau supposedly to five DENR regional offices were not received by the agencies.

Records showed that of the P2.5-billion unliquidated fund transfers, about P1.9 billion were less than a year delayed, while the liquidation of more than P473.5 million incurred delays ranging from more than a year to about 10 years.—MELVIN GASCON