A DEPUTY administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administrator is now in hot water over improper use of P1.27 million in cash advances for the procurement of supplies as part of the agency’s COVID-19 response last year.
In the 2020 OWWA report released yesterday, the Commission on Audit revealed that the official bought hygiene kits, thermal scanners, and sanitary napkins worth P969,920 from an establishment selling “construction supplies and hardware” even if the OWWA Central Office is located near an outlet of a big pharmaceutical retail chain.
“The propriety and regularity of the expenditures charged to the CA of a deputy administrator totaling P1,269,920 is doubtful due to the awarding of the procurement transactions not to reputable drugstores and supermarkets. This is an indication that OWWA’s resources were not expended in accordance with rules and regulations,” the COA said.
Based on the sales invoices, the supplier was MRCJP Construction and Trading with a business address at No.80 M Cornejo St., Malibay, Brgy. 161, Pasay City.
On verification, however, the business establishment was nowhere to be found.
“(The) establishment cannot be found on the address stated in the collection receipt issued for the procurement transactions, after an ocular inspection (sic) made by the audit team,” auditors said.
To make matters worse, the contents of the hygiene kit, priced at P160 per pouch, was not itemized.
Moreover, auditors pointed out that the declared cost of the sanitary napkins at P10, P20, and P30 per pad was excessive since even small retail stores sell the same item at only P5 to P8 per pad.
They also noted that online vendors offer thermal scanners at a price range of P400 to P800 each but the deputy administrator listed her purchase of the same item at P2,950 each.
