THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has denied a demand of its former debate partner, Impact Hub Manila, for payment of P15.3 million for the “Pilipinas Debate 2022” for lack of proper documentation.
To recall, only three of the five-debate program for presidential and vice presidential candidates in the May 2022 polls pushed through after the last two were canceled by the Comelec after Impact Hub encountered financial issues with Sofitel Philippine Plaza, which served as the venue of the event.
Comelec Executive Director Teopisto Elnas, in a two-page letter to Impact Hub dated May 19 but released only yesterday, said Impact Hub’s demand for payment “is not accompanied by the documentary requirements necessary to establish the validity of claim.”
“In this regard, the Commission is constrained to deny Impact Hub’s claim for P15,300,000.00,” he added.
Elnas said the Comelec has to comply with the rules of the Commission on Audit (COA) on the payments of claims for procurement and services by government agencies. He said COA Circular No. 2012-0013 requires “sufficient and relevant documents to establish validity of claim” for all types of disbursement of public funds.
“Claims for payment not compliant with the pertinent procurement, accounting, and auditing rules will not be processed,” he said.
“Otherwise, such payment can be the subject of disallowance by the Commission on Audit, together with its concomitant consequences, i.e. criminal, civil, and administrative liabilities,” Elnas added.
Impact Hub sent the Comelec the demand for payment last month and said Comelec’s failure to settle will force the company to “avail of the legal remedies under the law to recover the debt and to protect the company’s interests.”
Asked of the threat of legal actions by Impact Hub, Comelec Chairman George Garcia said yesterday, “Of course, the Comelec will always stand firm in our belief that these are public funds and, therefore, we shall safekeep these at all cost.”
