COVID-19 spending made by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) totaling P605.825 million is undergoing a thorough review by government auditors based on findings of absent or deficient documentation, overpricing, and unauthorized grant of allowances to personnel.
“The propriety of disbursements amounting to P605,824,714.08 made by the BFP in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is doubtful due to lacking supporting documents, difference between the cost of procured goods against the price ceiling set by the DOH, and grant of meal allowance to BFP personnel …inconsistent with existing regulations,” the COA said.
Transactions with lacking or deficient documents amounted to P88.88 million, the questioned meal allowances totaled P41 million, and procurements in excess of the Department of Health’s price ceiling reached P6.465 million.
The Commission on Audit notified the BFP management that it is required to submit written justifications for each of the adverse findings.
BFP Region 3 stood out with the biggest procurement totaling P21.66 million without any request for quotation and abstract of canvass on purchases for hospital and cleaning supplies as well as medicines.
BFP NCR came in second with P20.4 million worth of transactions being questioned for deficient supporting documents, including purchase of medicine from an unregistered supplier, mobile phone loads to unauthorized personnel, and rental of hotels for quarantined personnel with only a photocopy of the list of personnel.
The BFP-National Headquarters (NHQ) reported P17.04 million worth of donations but this was not backed by a summary of items or amounts received or how they were distributed.
Likewise, there was no price quotation or abstract of submitted offers from at least three qualified suppliers in the procurement of pandemic-related supplies worth P7.52 million.
Auditors said the deficient supporting papers was a violation of Presidential Decree No. 144 or the Government Auditing Code of the Philippines which made it mandatory that all claims against government funds must be supported by complete documentation.
