CLSU shopped for P70M worth of lab equipment
that it never used: COA
BY Peter Tabingo
A RANDOM inspection by government auditors last year revealed that the Central Luzon State University (CLSU) purchased various pricey laboratory equipment in 2021 worth over P70 million that were simply stored away gathering dust, many of them never seeing the light of day.
The Commission on Audit said at the time they were acquired two years earlier, most of the lab equipment were cutting edge and, had they been installed and used as intended, they would have placed CLSU at par with the country’s top bio-research institutions.
However, due to the fast-paced advances in available technology, government auditors said some of the equipment may have become outdated.
According to the 2023 audit of CLSU released on May 2, 2024, P59.81 million of the lab equipment were meant to be used in the planned Center for Transboundary Animal Diseases (CenTrAD), a supposed “priority” joint project of the state university and the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Plant Industry (BAI).
The Center was supposed to provide training for students on emergency response to transboundary animal diseases (TADs) through rapid detection and diagnosis as well as preparing a roadmap for animal vaccine development.
Among hundreds of equipment found, the most expensive was the P28 million NEXTSEQ Genome Sequencer which was found unusable due to lack of critical accessories.
“The high level of sophistication of the equipment procured for the CenTrAD, such as the genome sequencer can provide almost the same services as that of the Philippine Genome Center (PGC) or the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) when fully operational,” the audit team said.
But from years of unuse and poor safekeeping, the COA warned many of the idle equipment may have deteriorated even if they have never been used at all. Worse, auditors said warranties from manufacturers may have expired hence the government would have to spend more for repairs or replacement if parts are found defective.
“Non-utilization of these equipment and continuous storage in their shipping crates or boxes exposes the items to undue heat and humidity that could lead to possible corrosion and other elements that may affect their operational efficiency,” the commission said.
Per calculations of the audit team, non-utilization, investment and opportunity losses could amount to P180 million as of yearend 2023.
Likewise found idle were various pieces of equipment worth P10.26 million that were supposed to help CLSU produce Rapid African Swine Fever (ASF) test kits after successful field trials way back in 2020.
“However, ocular inspections and interviews with concerned officials conducted by the Audit Team on January 8, 2024 disclosed that the aforementioned equipment were installed and used initially for some time in CY 2022 but were currently idle,” the COA said.
Auditors were told that the non-operation of the lab equipment was due to “the drastic decline in the demand for rapid ASF test kits.”
The COA recommended that the CLSU management facilitate the installation of the idle equipment to provide training and readiness for its faculty and staff once the CenTrAD becomes fully operational.
It added that the state university should work out with the BAI the fund allocation for the joint operation of the CenTrAD as well as “clarify the direction, supervision, staffing, operational direction, and possible diagnostic and regulatory services to cater public and private entities.”
COA: Water district lost 4M cubic meters in 2023
BY PETER J. G. TABINGO
THE Legazpi City Water District (LCWD) lost 4.09 million cubic meters of water in 2023 representing 36.38 percent of the 11.246 million cubic meters pumped from its sources and distributed on its lines.
As non-revenue water (NRW), the unbilled volume represented about P43.8 million in foregone earnings.
The LCWD management assured the Commission it is continuing to implement distribution network projects to prevent water losses, such as active leak detection, leak repair, and meter replacement.
However, the audit team noted that for the past three years, the water district has not improved its NRW numbers by much. In 2021, the unbilled volume was at 37.41 percent followed by 34.62 percent in 2022.
According to the 2023 audit report posted on the Commission on Audit’s website last April 23, LCWD’s non-revenue water is nearly twice the limit set by the Local Water Utilities Administration which is pegged at only 20 percent.
“NRW is water that has been produced and is lost before it reaches the customer. Losses can be real losses through leaks, or apparent losses through theft or metering inaccuracies. High level of NRW is detrimental to the financial viability of water districts and to the quality of water itself,” the COA said.
According to the water district’s monthly data sheet, only 7.154 million cubic meters of water reached its 28,040 active service connections and was accordingly billed.
According to its 2023 financial statements, the LCWD posted an income of about P272.9 million or P8.35 million higher than its 2022 earnings of P264.5million.
However, total expenses also climbed year on year from P259.4 million to P271.383 million, leaving a net income of only P10.7 million, 46 percent lower than P19 million the year before.
“The incurrence of high NRW may be attributable to old pipelines subject to replacement and leaks from the various parts of pipelines and pilferages committed by erring concessionaires. Had the (water district) maintained the allowable standard, it could have earned an estimated additional revenue of ₱43,842,558.82 to fund its operations,” COA said.
OWWA disowns ‘OWWA Online Assistance’ Facebook page
By Gerard Naval
THE Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) yesterday denied any link to a social media page that supposedly offers assistance to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).
In a public advisory, the OWWA said it is not connected with the Facebook page established by one Rumel Ayala carrying the name of the agency.
“The ‘OWWA Online Assistance’ created by Rumel Ayala is not an official Facebook group page of OWWA,” said OWWA.
“This (page) is not authorized to provide any services on behalf of OWWA,” it added.
The OWWA also stressed that Ayala is not connected to the government agency.
“Please be informed that Rumel Ayala is not affiliated with OWWA in any capacity,” said OWWA.
The agency said the public must be careful and vigilant against potential scammers.
“Please exercise caution and avoid any potential deception. Make sure to always get information from official and legitimate (social media) pages of OWWA,” said OWWA.
Solon: PH bound by intl laws to cooperate in ICC probe
BY WENDELL VIGILIA
AN administration lawmaker yesterday urged the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its investigation on former president Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs, saying the country is legally bound by international law to do it.
Manila Rep. Joel Chua said warned the government against obstructing the ICC investigation, citing the Philippines’ obligation as a sovereign state and a founding member of the United Nations to adhere to international law.
“Being a sovereign state in the international community and founding member of the UN, the Philippines is legally-bound to follow international law, including the UN Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, and to respect the United Nations Laissez-Passer or the UN Passport and all holders of the UN Passport,” Chua, a lawyer, said in a statement.
“That war on drugs horrendously claimed the lives of thousands and destroyed the lives of tens of thousands more,” he stressed, adding: “If the Philippines denies entry to the ICC prosecutor, investigators, and staff that would be a direct offense to the UN and can make our country an outcast or pariah, along with the accompanying diplomatic and international crises.”
Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV has said the ICC might issue an arrest warrant against Duterte by June or July, citing information from those who are privy to the developments.
President Marcos Jr. has been adamant that the government will not hand Duterte to the ICC even if their relationship has soured.
The House Joint Committee on Justice and on Human Rights last November adopted House Resolution No. 1477, calling for the government to cooperate with the ICC’s investigation.
The joint panel adopted House Resolution No. 1477, which Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante filed with Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez (PL, 1-Rider), in consolidation with House Resolution Nos. 1393 filed by the militant Makabayan bloc and HR No. 1482 authored by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman.
The panel approved the motion for the adoption of the resolution after lengthy discussions on whether the ICC has jurisdiction over the country since Duterte has unilaterally ordered the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute in 2018.
Chua said the CHR and the judiciary can exercise its functions independently from the ICC probe into Duterte’s alleged crimes against humanity, citing Republic Act No. 9851 or “An Act Defining And Penalizing Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide And Other Crimes Against Humanity, Organizing Jurisdiction, Designating Special Courts, And For Related Purposes.”
He said RA No. 9851 provides “the legal bases, processes, courts, mechanisms, and penalties against crimes against humanity.”
Chua also said the CHR can “investigate, on its own or on complaint by any party, all forms of human rights violations involving civil and political rights.”
“There is another way to hold accountable those who took part in the reprehensible and disgusting utter regard for human life, decency, the rule of law, and constitutional due process,” he said. “This law is our country’s own law to hold to account those who order, mastermind, perpetrate, and cover up crimes against humanity and other crimes of the highest order.”
Chua said the President need not reassess or alter his stance on the ICC investigation because “it is simply constitutional and legal to let the CHR and the judiciary do their jobs.”
“The Executive Department and Congress need not lift a finger to help or block the [ICC] in its investigation of the inhumane and horrific war on drugs of the previous administration, the alleged co-conspirators, masterminds, accomplices before and after the fact, and their henchmen. The CHR and the judiciary are there to execute their mandates, independent of the Executive Branch and Congress,” he said.
2 Pinoys hurt in HK rainstorm
By Gerard Naval
TWO Filipinos were injured Saturday in the heavy rainstorm that hit Hong Kong on Saturday, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
The spouses, both overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), are in stable condition, said DMW Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac.
“OFWs wife and husband are in the hospital with a head and leg injury, respectively,” he said, adding the husband is scheduled for operation on his injured leg while the wife is under monitoring in the hospital and has been provided with financial assistance.
The two work at a Sai Kung resort in Hong Kong. The resort was affected by a landslide due to the rainstorm, according to Cacdac.
The heavy rainstorm also caused flooding in several areas, shut down roads, and disrupted public transportation.
