Gwen Garcia, 3 execs asked to return foreign travel expenses

CEBU CITY, Philippines—The Commission on Audit (COA) has asked former Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and three  other former provincial officials to refund a total of P846,503.33 for foreign trips made from 2007 to 2008.

The state auditors in the 2013 Audit Report said the foreign trips of Garcia, former Board Members Wilfredo Caminero and Victoria Corominas and Ronald Conopio didn’t comply with conditions stated under the approved authority to travel abroad issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

The COA said the DILG secretary approved the authority to travel abroad, provided it would not entail any expense for the province.

“Despite this stipulation, the related expenses were charged against provincial funds, hence payment thereof is irregular and may be disallowed in audit in the total amount of P846,503.33,” it said.

Garcia and Caminero are now House representatives of Cebu’s third and second districts after their term as governor and board member ended in 2013.

The Inquirer tried to reach Garcia, Caminero and Corominas for comment but to no avail.

Conopio, Garcia’s former executive assistant, said he had filed an appeal and submitted the pertinent documents showing that all his foreign travels were official and properly liquidated.

In the COA report, Conopio was told to refund P383,800.31; Garcia, P298,490.40; Caminero, P110,347.36,  and Corominas, P53,865.26. The amounts were disbursed in six checks issued in 2007 and 2008.