Arroyo govt to 'fully account' for P50 billion in disbursed funds

The Arroyo government will be able to make a “full accounting" of some P50 billion worth of funds that a senatorial candidate earlier claimed as “unliquidated." “Full accounting" will be undertaken but only until “the end of the administration’s term," deputy presidential spokeswoman Charito Planas said in an interview aired over dzXL radio. “Hintayin natin, ilang araw na lang matatapos ang administrasyon so pagtapos niyan dun liliwanagin at maja-justify saan napupunta," she said. (This administration has a few months left. By then, we can expect a full accounting.) Planas added that government officials and employees have no choice but to account for the funds they used, or they will not be entitled to separation pay and other benefits. “Kung di mo napapalinaw di mo account fully di mo makukuha ang karapatan magkaroon ng separation pay," she said. (If you don’t make a clear accounting of your expenses, you will not get your benefits and separation pay.) All administrations usually do their accounting at the end of their term. Mrs. Arroyo’s term ends on June 30. “Lahat na nagsimula ng panunungkulan hanggang tapusan doon ang final ng accounting (All administrations do their accounting at the end)," she said. Last weekend, Recto claimed some P50 billion in government funds released to national agencies, local government units (LGUs), private foundations, and people’s organizations (POs) are missing. Recto, who is running for senator, cited the Commission on Audit (COA) report on taxpayers’ money disbursed to state agencies, LGUs, foundations, and POs in 2008. The COA report showed that P24.81 billion of the unaccounted funds was disbursed to state agencies. The Department of Agriculture received P17.45 billion, the biggest allocation. Recto said local governments received P16.58 billion, while foundations and POs received P7.61 billion. Agencies that disburse funds to private organizations should require the recipients to liquidate the funds, and file charges against those that do not comply, Recto said. “They should publish the list of recipient organizations so the public will know if these groups are real or fictitious, if they were created simply to receive funds meant for somewhere or someone else," he said. He noted that in 2004, a huge part of the controversial P728-million fertilizer fund was disbursed to foundations and POs that auditors failed to trace. The Senate investigated the fertilizer scam and recommended criminal charges against several agriculture officials, many of whom still occupy their positions. - GMANews.TV