MORE than five years after advancing the cost of plane fares for 49 distressed overseas Filipinos (OFs) on their flight home from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), an Abu Dhabi travel company may finally collect payment.
In an en banc decision released this week, the Commission on Audit (COA) granted the petition for money claim filed by Fariz MB Eddin Nakkach, manager of Atlas Travel with offices in Abu Dhabi, and ordered the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to pay the firm’s billing amounting to P1,511,720.06.
Based on the petition, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi, UAE engaged the services of Atlas Travel for the repatriation of 49 Filipinos with deficient or expired documents.
According to statements from the DFA in 2019, many Filipinos arrived in UAE only on short-visit visas relying on false assurances from illegal recruiters that they can obtain work visas once they are in the country.
From December 28 to 31, 2019, Atlas Travel were able to assist in the transportation of the 49 Filipinos who all arrived safely in Manila.
On January 6, 2020, the Philippine Embassy – Abu Dhabi requested the DFA secretary for the disbursement of sums under the Assistance to National Funds (ANF) to pay Atlas Travel’s billing totaling P1,511,720.06.
While the secretary approved the request and a disbursement voucher was prepared, Atlas Travel never received the payment prompting it to file the petition with the COA.
The claimant attached copies of support documents including a certification from the accounting department of the DFA dated November 14, 2021 that no payment has been released, booking confirmation of plane tickets for all repatriated 49 Filipinos, tax invoice, purchase requests, and purchase order.
In its answer, the DFA did not contest the claim and admitted that payment has not been released to Atlas Travel for its services.
The COA clarified that while it has no license to operate a business in the Philippines, Atlas Travel has a valid claim because what is barred by law is “doing business” in the country but not merely seeking overdue settlement of an obligation.
“The DFA admitted that Atlas Travel provided services so that the 49 OFs in distress stranded in Abu Dhabi be sent back to the Philippines. Moreover, Atlas Travel submitted the complete supporting documents to substantiate its claim, and the SA and the CD found them to be sufficient and proper. Thus, there is no reason for this Commission to deny the claim,” the COA said.
