TWO officials of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) stayed in an expensive hotel suite in Cagayan de Oro City costing taxpayers P4,500 a night or five times the daily maximum rate of P900 for hotel/lodging set under Executive Order No. 77, while supposedly working to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) last year.
State auditors said in all, the two officials spent P84,272.80 on hotel accommodations alone which was flagged in audit for exceeding the daily allowable rate.
Likewise, the PIA incurred over P150,000 for meals and snacks during meetings and regular workdays, as well as for radio network personnel during airing of programs.
In addition, the agency spent P70,745 as assistance to PIA-Region 10 employees while the modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) was in effect.
“These expenses are deemed irregular since the provisions of such is unnecessary for they do not actually relate to the implementation of a significant activity,” the audit team said.
The Commission on Audit noted that the PIA’s mandate is to provide “accurate, timely, and relevant information” to enable citizens to participate in and benefit from government programs that would uplift their quality of life.
While it is given that accommodation and meal expenses form part of the operational costs during important agency activities, the COA said all government personnel are expected to exercise caution in spending government funds.
The COA required the PIA to justify the expenses that were “deemed excessive, unnecessary and irregular” under pain of being disallowed.
In its comment to the audit observation, the PIA said that as lead agency for strategic communication for the Northern Mindanao Task Force on COVID-19, its personnel had to make a round of hospitals, the Department of Health command center, and venues for media conferences.
This was cited as the reason for the meals and snack expenses, but no remark was made to address the question on expensive hotel rooms.
The PIA said its administrative and finance section will submit the lacking documents.
