PAO flagged for advancing pay of contractual workers

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) has called out the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) for paying in advance the salaries of its contractual workers.

In its 2020 audit report, the COA said PAO paid the salaries of 61 contract of service (COS) workers even without their daily time records to prove the actual services rendered.

The COA said Presidential Decree No. 1445, prohibits the government from making advance payments for services not yet rendered except with the prior approval of the President.

The COA found that from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2020, PAO paid in advance the wages of COS personnel for services not yet rendered in violation of the law.

—NESTOR CORRALES