MANILA, Philippines – Several former employees of the House of Representatives continued receiving salaries, Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (PERA), and cash gifts even after their resignation, leading to an overpayment of P306,940.08.

This was among the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA) in its annual audit report on the House, which was sent to the office of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez last June 9.

State auditors said “weaknesses” in the House’s internal control system over the payroll and monitoring of employees’ status led to the overpayment.

The Accounting Service continued to prepare the payrolls of the congressional staff without the necessary supporting documents, including the daily time record (DTR) and the certificate of services rendered (CSR). 

COA said this responsibility should have been performed by the Human Resource Management Service (HRMS) “since they are in a better position to know the employment status of the personnel.”

Several lawmakers’ offices also failed to inform the HRMS of the resignations.

“The payment of salaries and allowances to resigned/transferred personnel resulted in the overstatement of calendar year 2016 Salaries and Wages – Casual/Contractual, PERA, YEB and CG by P262,565.08, P17,000.00, P24,875.00 and P2,500.00, respectively, and understated the Accumulated Surplus by P306,940.08,” said the state auditors.

Here is the list of checks issued to resigned or transferred congressional employees, who were unnamed in the COA annual audit report:

The table in COA’s report, however, includes checks issued between October 26, 2015 and January 26, 2016, which were still under the 16th Congress. The overpayment in salaries during this period totaled P167,457.42.

The rest of the checks were issued between August 18, 2016 and September 13, 2016, falling under the current 17th Congress. The overpayment during this period reached P139,482.66.

State auditors recommended that the House leadership issue demand letters to the former employees concerned requiring them to immediately refund the overpaid salaries, allowances, and cash gifts.  

The HRMS must also be the department spearheading the preparation of congressional staff’s payroll.

“[We recommend] the Accounting Service to refrain from processing the payrolls and paying the salaries and other benefits without the complete documentation to support the same,” said the state auditors.

COA also recommended that offices of legislators submit duly approved DTRs and CSRs to the HRMS to serve as proper basis for workers’ payment. – Rappler.com