THE Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) can finally collect payment from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for an obligation incurred by the latter more than 25 years ago.
In a seven-page en banc decision, the Commission on Audit (COA) granted PICC’s claim against the OVP for payment of rental adjustments dating back from January to March 2000 during the term of then-Vice President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
According to records submitted by the PICC, it signed a lease contract with the OVP for the latter to use office spaces at the second and fourth floors of the delegation building at a monthly rate of P722,839.21. The monthly rental rate was increased to P862,441.97 in 2000.
However, the statement of account sent by PICC to OVP for the months of January to March 2000 was still computed based on the original rate because the lease contract documents were notarized only on March 27, 2000.
Upon reviewing its accounts, the PICC sent OVP a letter requesting payment of the unpaid rent adjustment totaling P388,608.45.
OVP, however, replied that it has no record of any outstanding obligation to the PICC.
It was only on April 12, 2019 that the OVP inquired with the COA whether it had jurisdiction to settle the money claim between it and the PICC.
