THE Commission on Audit has ordered the Department of Tourism (DOT) to settle the claim of a travel agency over unpaid airfare totaling P1.58 million incurred five years ago by former Secretary Wanda Corazon Tulfo-Teo, an assistant secretary, and two executive assistants.
In a five-page decision released only last week, the COA Commission Proper granted the Petition for Money Claim filed by Ark Travel Express Inc. for P1,001,166.50 representing the round-trip airfare of Teo and former Asec Arlene Mancao from Manila, Philippines to Buenos Aires, Argentina, with a stop in Istanbul, Turkey.
The DOT’s request for booking dated April 3, 2018 disclosed that the trip was for the DOT officials to attend the 18th Global Summit of World Travel and Tourism Council (WTCC) with the private sector and tourism stakeholders in Buenos Aires and Istanbul from April 15 to 23, 2018.
According to the Authority to Travel issued by the Office of the President on April 11, 2018, Teo and Mancao were allowed to secure business class seats for the trip.
Also granted was the claim for payment for the P579,388.16 representing airfare for DOT executive assistants Julius Disamburun and Angelito Ucol with the same reference date of April 10, 2018.
Ark Travel Express submitted a request for payment on June 6, 2018 but the billings were not settled despite assurances from the DOT that the transaction was already being processed, prompting the filing of the petition for compensation with the COA.
In a Final Demand Letter dated July 12, 2018 addressed to Teo, the travel agency again reminded the DOT of its obligation and threatened legal action for non-payment.
In its reply on November 8, 2018, the DOT advised the claimant firm to file a petition for payment with the COA, citing deficient procurement and accounting documents as well as the expiry of the appropriations for the claims.
While the COA upheld the validity of the claims with regard to the four DOT officers, it denied Ark Travel’s claim based on two other invoices for P889,399.92 for the airfare of one Cynthia Lazo with a party of 12 and P58,632 for a Juan Enrico Tolentino.
The DOT said it does not have any personnel named Juan Enrico Tolentino.
“Clearly, the round-trip international airfare expenses of Secretary Teo and Atty. Mancao from Manila, Philippines to Buenos Aires, Argentina with a stopover in Istanbul, Turkey were officially authorized and ARK was not paid its money claim amounting to P1,001,166.50. Thus, the claim should be granted,” the commission said.
On the claim regarding the airfare of Disamburun and Ucol, the COA said this was not disputed since they accompanied Teo on her trip to provide technical assistance during her meetings and the DOT issued a certificate of no payment.
In the case of Lazo and her party of 12 as well as Tolentino, the COA said the claim should be denied for lack of supporting documents.
If their travels were unofficial, the COA recommended that the travel agency should try to recover by filing a civil case with the courts.
In the absence of proof that they were authorized to join the WTTC event or that they were really DOT officials/employees, the commission said their airfares should be considered their personal liabilities and not of the DOT.
