Gomez rules out irregularities; says COA finds no adverse conclusion in Ormoc donations

Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Leyte Rep. Richard Gomez has strongly criticized reports that insinuate irregularities in the Commission on Audit’s (COA) comment regarding alleged “missing” in-kind donations received by the city government of Ormoc, calling them malicious.

Gomez specifically refers to recent news reports regarding the supposed “missing” in-kind donations posted on Ormoc City’s official Facebook page in early 2022, during his tenure as city mayor.

According to the COA’s audit report, the city government’s books did not account for relief goods donations, such as sacks of rice.

Gomez clarifies that this finding is part of the COA’s Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM).

“What does it mean? An AOM is an audit finding that a local government unit (LGU) or any office or agency being audited has to explain if so required by the COA. It cannot be considered as irregular if a comment has been submitted and no adverse conclusion is made,” Gomez explained.

He further stated, “At the end of the report, the COA did not make any adverse or negative findings. In the first place, there could not have been any adverse conclusion because nothing irregular really happened.”

Gomez highlights that during his term as city mayor, his administration engaged local non-government organizations (NGOs) to receive donations meant for Ormoc City to ensure transparency.

“These donations are not recorded in the city’s records because the city did not spend for these donations. The city government’s role is solely to facilitate the transfer of the donations,” he clarified.

He added, “The fact that the city government posted the donations on its official social media platforms is in line with our commitment to transparency and accountability to the public.”

Gomez strongly asserts that the news reports insinuating irregularities in these transactions are not only disrespectful to the donors of the in-kind relief assistance but also to the city government of Ormoc, which was simply prioritizing the welfare of the people of Leyte.

RELATED STORY:

Some of Ormoc’s relief aids are not properly documented – COA