THE Commission on Audit has called out the PNP over its failure to list in its books 207 donated vehicles from foreign governments, private organizations, and other government offices.
State auditors tagged the PNP supply accountable officers (SAOs) and logistics officers for non-submission of deeds of donations to the PNP Accounting Division, making it impossible to record the motor vehicles even as they were released to various units.
Between 2017 and 2020, the COA said the PNP National Headquarters received 49 Hyundai Elantra sedans and 81 Starex vans from the Republic of Korea through the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) with a combined value of 3.439 billion won.
The Accounting Division failed to record the fleet of Korean cars, citing the absence of basis for recording in local currency values before their submission to the Directorate for Logistics.
The audit team, however, pointed out that the International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) provides that transactions based on foreign currency should be recorded based on the conversion rate on the day the transaction was completed.
On the other hand, the PNP’s annual reports provided additional information on more vehicle donations, including 22 Toyota Grandia vans received from the Public Safety Savings and Loans Association, Inc. (PSSLAI) on February 17, 2020; four Toyota Hilux pickup trucks from Servequest Properties Corporation on June 13, 2020; and two Hilux pickups each from the Rotary Club of Makati Central, C5 Mansions Development Corporation, GRH Land, and Novel Residential Concepts Inc. also on June 13, 2020.
The PSSLAI also donated one Toyota Innova to the PNP on an unspecified date in 2021.
A 13-page list of donated assets compiled by auditors as of December 31, 2021 and attached to the audit report as Annex E showed the Armed Forces and Police Mutual Benefit Association, Inc. (AFPMBAI) also gave the PNP a Nissan Navarra pickup to the Anti-Kidnapping Group, and a Nissan Urvan and two Toyota Coasters to the PNP Academy. The same donor gave three Nissan ALS Ambulance vans to the PNP Health Service.
Also in the list were a Ford tow truck from the United States Embassy to the Highway Patrol Group; a P3.3 million SWAT van from CCDELMAN Trading to PNP Region 9, and a P5 million Gazelle Ambulance from Conequip Philippines whose end-user was not listed.
The Armed Forces and Police Savings and Loans Association, Inc. (AFPSLAI) is on record for donating a Toyota Grandia van to the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations-Northern Luzon (DIPO-NL) and three SOCO vans to the PNP Crime Laboratory Group.
A P1.58 million Nissan Urvan went to the Eastern Police District courtesy of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
Police Regional Office 3 was the recorded recipient of a Foton Tornado SWAT van from the United Asia Automotive Group, Inc; two Toyota Grandia GL worth P4.163 million from PSSLAI and a Gemma Sotto; a Mitsubishi L300 ambulance from AFPSLAI; and four Hyundai Elantra and two Hyundai Starex from the Republic of Korea.
The Himamaylan City Police Station received an Isuzu D-Max pickup truck with a P1.9 million price tag from the city government.
Police Regional Office 9 was listed as having received 17 Toyota Hilux pickup trucks worth P23.8 million in addition to a P3.6 million Hino Bus. The donor was not identified in the COA report.
In reaction to the audit findings, the PNP leadership gave a commitment that the Supply Accountable Officers and Logistics Officers would be instructed to promptly submit the deeds of donation and pertinent document for all donated properties including vehicles, firearms, and communications and electronic equipment.
Likewise, the various units and regional offices were ordered to prepare all the records of donated items for proper recording in the agency books while the chief of the PNP Accounting Division was reminded to immediately record donated properties in foreign currencies based on prevailing currency exchange rates on the date of donation.
The PNP-NHQ informed the COA that it has already taken up on its records 40 out of 50 donations in foreign currencies.
