Lifting of COA suspension on Ormoc’s fuel requisition sought

ORMOC CITY, Leyte, May 26 (PNA) -- The city government has requested the recall and lifting of the notice of suspension imposed by the Commission on Audit (COA) on its procurement of fuels and lubricants in 2014.

The basis for the notice is the non-submission of monthly reports of official travels as well as incomplete and not properly filled up monthly reports of fuel consumption and drivers’ trip tickets.

COA based its findings on Circular No. 77-61 or the Manual on Audit for Fuel Consumption of Government Motor Vehicles issued on Sept. 26, 1977. But city administrator Francis A. Pepito in his reply letter, described the findings as unfair and baseless.

For one, Circular No. 77-61 made mention of the documents cited by COA (i.e. drivers’ trip tickets, monthly reports of official travel and fuel consumption), but these were considered as tools to ensure effective control of fuel consumption and proper utilization of government vehicles. It did not require the attachment of the same as supporting documents to the disbursement vouchers.

While Circular No. 77-61 was issued 39 years ago, this was the first time it was implemented strictly by COA, per accounts of employees long connected to the city government. Previous auditors were not as strict on the matter, General Services Officer Domardoni Cayanong said.

Pepito finds it odd that the entire PHP15.8 million liability was imposed only on Mayor Edward C. Codilla and 17 department heads when the consumption constituted the entire operations of the city government for 2014 including national offices receiving fuel subsidy from the mayor’s office like the COA itself.

Pepito also reminded COA that Ormoc was under a state of calamity in 2014. “To suspend the payments of fuel and lubricants that were utilized during that time simply because of the non-submission of some documents…would amount to penalizing the city officials for performing their mandated tasks under the prevailing abnormal situation,” he wrote.

“To strictly require the city officials and the drivers to strictly fill up the trip tickets, which was issued way back in 2014 would, in effect, require them to fabricate the details and entries in the said trip tickets as it would be impossible to accurately recall the same especially during the times when the operation of the city government was still in disarray consequent to the massive devastation caused by typhoon Yolanda,” the reply continued.

Pepito further observed that the implementation of a 39-year-old circular is not practical considering the standards set in computing fuel consumption no longer apply in the present time. This is true especially so that the circular lists down motor vehicles (with type, model and cylinder) that have long been phased out and have not been part of the inventory of motor vehicles of the city government.

Pepito went on to explain that the city government has long implemented its own tracking system on the requisition of fuels and lubricants which can be generated from the database of the General Services Department and City Accountant’s Office.

“Thus, while the submitted monthly report of fuel consumption and driver’s trip tickets were incomplete and not properly filled up, it does not mean that the city allowed the wastage of fuels and lubricants,” he wrote.

Finally, Pepito cited the remedy imposed by COA on its notice of suspension which states:

“Henceforth, the Approved Driver’s Trip Ticket should be properly and completely filled up. Prepare and submit the Monthly Report of Official Travels.” He took note of the word “Henceforth” which means that COA is requiring compliance on the local government’s future or subsequent transactions. (PNA)
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