State university breaches per diem budget

THE unauthorized expense for per diem of a state university has already breached the P1-million mark because of the apparent disregard of university officials on the mandate of the Budget Department. The Commission on Audit (COA) noted that the payment of P5,000 for the chairman and members of the board of regents of Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) for five years has already accumulated an excess of P1.1 million.

The P5,000 per diem exceeded the required rates of the Budget department’s circular by P1,900 for the chairman and P3,500 for the members.

In 2009, per diem and honoraria payment was in excess of P72,450. Instead of receiving only P152,500, the board received a total of P225,000, the report said, an increase by 47.5 percent.

The chairman, COA reported, received a total of P25,000 between March 13 to November 27, 2009, while the members received no less that P35,000 each during meetings between the same dates.

In 2004, the per diem excess by P252,025; P335,750 in 2005; P236,575 in 2006; P103,225 in 2007; and P98,250 in 2008.

According to the Budget department’s circular 2003-6, per diem of the chairperson and members must only amount to 25 percent of the monthly representation and transportation allowance of the president and vice president, respectively.

COA already issued a notice of disallowance in 2004 when it was first find out, but “the University did not stop from continuously paying the same excessive rates of honoraria and per diem,” the report read.

“The per diem findings of COA have been the problem of state universities. But if you will look at it, the P1 million excess has been incurred over years and P5,000 is small compared to what the government-owned or -controlled corporations receive,” Guevarra said. –JOHN CONSTANTINE G. CORDON, Manila Times