COA: P74M was for calamity victims

STATE auditors have admonished the Department of National Defense (DND) for spending funds meant to help calamity victims amounting to nearly P74 million to construct and refurbish office buildings and facilities for its own personnel.

In its report for 2015, the Commission on Audit (COA) questioned the DND’s use of its Quick Response Fund (QRF) for “repairs and reconstruction” of military facilities in Cebu City, Zamboanga and Cagayan last year.

“The transfer of funds amounting to P73,929,934.91 for repairs and reconstruction using the QRF … defeats the purpose of the QRF as standby fund to ensure immediate action during calamities,” the COA said.

The implementing agency for rehabilitation and reconstruction projects is the Department of Public Works and Highways, the COA added.

The DND spent P41.8 million to repair seven buildings in the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters at Camp Lapu-Lapu, Cebu City, namely,  the commissary, enlisted personnel housing, camp hospital, two office buildings, barracks and motor pool.

 Warehouses

It spent P23.1 million to construct office buildings and warehouses for the Office of Civil Defense in Region II, and P8.9 million in Region IX.

The COA said these facilities were owned by the AFP and the OCD and were not for public use.

The DND is allowed to allocate 30 percent of its emergency relief fund to normalize living conditions in  disaster-stricken communities.

Defense officials utilized P236.3 million in QRF last year, although only P128.6 million had been paid for as of end of 2015, it said.

The COA found that of the P8-million worth of items procured under the QRF, some of the personal protective equipment, medical supplies and bottled water purchased were overpriced by at least P2 million.

Unliquidated disbursements from the QRF ballooned to P456 million under the Aquino administration, the agency said.

In the audit report, the DND justified its use of the QRF for the construction and repairs and even training purposes, saying these military facilities had been destroyed by calamities.  Dona Z. Pazzibugan