GUV STANDS PAT ON MILLIONS FOR ANTI-DRUGS GROUP

CEBU Gov. Pablo Garcia yesterday said his disbursement of millions in
provincial funds as honorarium for deputized officials of Capitol's
anti-drugs task force is legal.

Earlier, the Commission on Audit COA) had issued an audit observation
memorandum citing that the Government Accounting and Auditing Manual
prohibits the payment of honoraria "except those specifically authorized by
law."

Garcia, however, pointed out that it was not a disallowance, only an
observation. Besides, he added, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act
mandates local government units to allocate funds for anti-drug campaigns.

Capitol has been giving monthly honoraria to mayors (P5,000), councilors
(P1,500), barangay captains (P1,000), and P250 to each barangay councilor,
Sangguniang Kabataan chairman, barangay secretary and barangay treasurer.

Monthly meetings of anti-drug councils of each town, where the honoraria
are released by gubernatorial candidate Gwendolyn Garcia, started last year.

Her rivals perceived the meetings as a means to boost her candidacy, but
she answered that only those who are into illegal drugs would oppose what
they have been doing.

State auditor Nancy Aparri, in a memorandum dated Feb.23, noted some
deficiencies in Provincial Treasurer Roy Salubre' s liquidation of cash
advances for the operation of the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Program.

Aparri had told Garcia, as well as the provincial accountant, treasurer and
administrator, that the executive order creating the anti-drug task force
is not enough to support the disbursement of the honoraria.

This is especially since the deputized officials were given free meals, and
they did not submit accomplishment reports. Resource persons and support
staff of the program also did not submit reports.

Further, the program of activities to be conducted per municipality was not
attached to the liquidation papers.

Among other deficiencies, Aparri also cited that instead of a project plan
approved by the local chief executive specifying the objectives, outputs,
activities and resource and human resource requirement, only the program's
proposed budget was attached to the vouchers.

JPM