COA flags PITC for undelivered gear, supplies

The Commission on Audit (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) has called out the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) for the P582.56 million in unimplemented and undelivered projects, equipment and supplies to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

In its 2020 audit report on the AFP general headquarters (GHQ), the COA said the military’s fund transfers to the PITC for the procurement of ammunition, equipment, tires, batteries, freight services and construction and rehabilitation of buildings, among others, in the GHQ remained undelivered from a period ranging from one to more than eight years.

Based on updates from the PITC, state auditors said the implementation of four projects from the AFP Modernization Act Trust Fund was “still in progress” even if funds had been transferred in 2018.

Given the maximum period of 136 days allowed for the procurement of goods under the revised implementing rules and regulations of the Government Procurement Act, the COA said the PITC could have made the delivery or completion of the projects had it taken advantage of the given period. ]