City Hall’s P56.84M payment for wages, aide ‘doubtful’

By Gerome Dalipe

THE Iloilo City Government has released about P56.84 million as payment for salaries, financial assistance, and other cash payment thru payrolls from the cash advances of disbursing officers last year.

But such cash disbursements may not be valid, the Commission on Audit (COA) discovered.

In their annual report for the City’s financial transactions for 2018, the state auditors said the fund releases were not certified by the Office of the City Accountant.

The city accountant did not certify on the completeness and propriety of supporting documents or the existence of funds held in trust.

“Thus, the sufficiency of relevant supporting documents to establish the validity of the payments made were not ensured,” the auditors noted.

The auditors, in their annual report, asked the city accountant to check and certify the completeness and propriety of supporting documents of the cash releases.

Likewise, the auditors also flagged the payment of salaries and other allowances to other people other than the payees amounting to P147,892.

The releases were made without the power of attorney or any authorized people and the signatures of the personnel in the job order contracts.

Such payments made the validity of the payments doubtful, the auditors said.

The auditors reminded the accountable officers to always ensure that payments of salaries, wages, other forms of additional compensation be made directly to the personnel.

The auditors asked the City Government to establish the identity of the payees thru proper identification cards and other documents before making payments, to avoid irregular disbursement of government funds.