THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has a standby fund totaling P296.56 million that has remained idle since 2021 without even a single centavo spent.
In the 2023 audit of the PDEA released last December 1, state auditors warned that for failing to allocate the money for agency programs and projects, the public is being deprived of benefits that may be derived from it.
A review of records revealed the sum was part of the P1 billion in cash transferred by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) more than 20 years ago on May 15, 2003 “to fund the operations of the PDEA and the task forces supporting it.”
As of December 31, 2023, the trust account was found to contain an outstanding balance of P303,935,400.20 of which P296.56 million represented the balance the money from PCSO.
The record of utilization of the standby fund showed P500 million was used on the first year, P8 million in 2004, P58.23 million during the Aquino administration, and P137.21 million during the Duterte administration, or a total of P703.44 million. The last amount drawn was for P3.83 million in 2021.
“There was utilization made for the year 2022 to 2023, leaving unutilized fund of P296,561,011.86. Interview with the FMS (Financial Management Service) revealed that there were no internal guidelines formulated for the utilization of the said fund,” the COA said.
However, after inquiring with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the audit team was informed that any project, activity, or program directly or indirectly related to PDEA’s operations can be charged against the PCSO fund, except for salaries of non-regular personnel.
For its performance report under the Dangerous Drugs Supply Reduction and Suppression Program, the PDEA reported that it exceeded all targets it set at the start of the year.
In its output indicator, the PDEA hit 88 percent in arrests of high value targets (HVTs) against a goal of only 35 percent.
In addition, it was able to conduct 610 high impact operations, almost twice the 325 mark it set for itself in 2023.
It was also able to launch anti-drug operations on 67 percent of drug-related information and reports received, more than double the 25 percent target set.
