COA to water districts: Return P90M illegal bonuses

MANILA, Philippines – Several water districts were ordered to return about P89.95 million ($2.031 million) in illegal cash allowances and bonuses after the Commission on Audit (COA) junked their petitions for reconsideration in a series of decisions released in May. 

The following offices were ordered to return unauthorized bonuses: 

• Metropolitan Cebu Water District – P53.44 million ($1.21 million)
• Leyte Metropolitan Water District – P20.23 million ($456,938)
• General Mariano Alvarez Water District – P6.51 million Dipolog City Water District – P4.75 million ($107,289)
• Metro Iloilo Water District – P3.27 million ($73,859)
• Zamboanga City Water District P1.6 million ($36,139)
• Baguio City Water District – P150,824 ($3,407)

COA junked the petitions over bonuses paid out to officials and personnel of the different water districts for having no legal basis.

Meanwhile, rank-and-file employees of the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) were spared from returning their incentives after the COA ruled that they received them in good faith. Only MIWD officials were ordered to return illegal rice allowances amounting to P3,270,580 million. – Rappler.com

*US$1 = P44.27