NO AUDIT ON 2020-2021 SCHOLARS SUBMITTED

THE Commission on Audit in Dagupan belatedly released its Audit Observation Memorandum on the scholarship fund disbursed for the school’s first semester this year dated December 1, 2022 that cited violations committed by at 141 scholars and who it said could be asked to reimburse the full amount spent by the city for their schooling.

The AOM, a copy of which was obtained by the PUNCH, however, covered only the disbursement of funds for the first semester of year 2022 and did not include disbursement of funds in 2021 and 2020 when the scholarship program was under the Lim administration.

“We want to see if COA has AOM on the scholarship funds released during the prior years,” the mayor asked.

City Auditor Michael Basa’s AOM stated P2,890,500 representing benefits of 141 students for the months of February and March 2022 were paid, despite violations of provisions of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Comprehensive Dagupan City Government  Scholarship and Educational Assistance Program (CDCGSEAP).

Out of the 2,301 scholars funded for the months of February and March, 141 or 6 percent failed to comply with the provisions of the IRR, among these: a) Must be a bona fide Dagupan students and bona fide resident of Dagupan City. b) Must maintain a General Weighted Average of 80% or its equivalent with no failing grade in any subject.  3) No material misrepresentation or false disclosure in his/her entry qualification document.

The city auditor said the Dagupan Scholarship Committee may demand full reimbursement of all the expenses that were paid by the city government to five non-residents; two scholars with failed grades, 85 scholars with incomplete grades, 35 scholars with no grade and 14 scholars whose grades, COA said, are pending and in progress.

The AOM, signed by Basa, as No. 6 team leader, and Remedios Movida, recommended that the sanctions be imposed on the concerned deficient scholars and to require other scholars with noted deficiencies to strictly comply, or be required to immediately refund the amount they received pursuant to the IRR of CDCGSEAP.

Mayor Belen Fernandez told newsmen that the COA’s December 1, 2022 still does not yet represent the true picture of the scholarship program since it only audited the fund disbursed for the first semester of 2022.

At the same time, she said the AOM did not identify a single accountable public official that caused the violations of the IRR so cases may be filed before the Office of the Ombudsman.

“Nevertheless, I felt vindicated because mayroon talagang violators sa mga scholars. This is one of the reasons why we are afraid to release any scholarship fund, because if we release it to somebody who is unqualified, we are liable under the law,” Fernandez said.

On the SP resolution of the majority in the SP urging her to release the remaining balance of P55 million to fund scholars, Fernandez said she will not it until COA has verified who are qualified and are found to be “ flying, ghost and dummy” scholars.

Fernandez said she will only release the amount, together with the additional P100 million that was incorporated in the proposed supplemental budget. (Leonardo Micua)

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