Calida, OSG lawyers did not submit daily time records in 2016 – COA

MANILA, Philippines – Solicitor General Jose Calida and more than 200 other officials of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) did not submit daily time records (DTRs) for 2016, said the Commission on Audit (COA).

In its audit report released last May 18, state auditors found that 248 lawyers and 4 directors of the OSG did not have time records in the Weekly Attendance Monitoring Sheet (WAMS) system, which has been in place since 2008.

Aside from Calida, also cited in the COA report were 24 assistant solicitors general, 46 senior state solicitors, 75 state solicitors, 98 associate solicitors, 4 attorneys, and directors Rosalinda Ibarra (human resource management), Edgar Dimayuga (financial management), Rizalina Tiongson (docket management), and Eduardo Alejandro Santos (case management).

They represent more than 36% of the OSG’s 697-strong workforce. 

COA said the OSG employees violated several government policies concerning work hours, including Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular No. 21, Executive Order No. 292, and Memorandum Circular No. 3 of the Office of the President issued on August 8, 2016.

In its report, COA said the lack of time records made it difficult to determine if the OSG personnel had incurred absences or tardiness.

OSG personnel are supposed to log in through a biometrics system that would generate the WAMS and monthly attendance sheets that would serve as the basis for the computation of the payroll.

But the OSG’s Human Resource Management Division (HRMD) acknowledged that the 252 lawyers and directors did not have DTRs in the system.

“Having no record to monitor the attendance such as DTRs of employees or similar means may result to lapses in administrative control. The actual number of hours and days worked cannot be verified,” COA said.

Meanwhile, the audit report also found that 17 OSG lawyers, including Calida and his predecessor Florin Hilbay, were paid a total of P8.56 million in excess allowances for 2016.

The COA report also noted the OSG’s lack of progress in resolving pending cases. In 2016, the OSG received 30,444 cases – adding to the 333,539 pending cases as of January 2016 – but disposed only 28,604 cases. – Rappler.com