COA roasts Cebu town government over 207 lechon purchases

CEBU, Philippines – In a province famous for its delicious lechon (roasted pig) and political pork, a town government has found itself in a sizzling situation. The Commission on Audit (COA) put the spotlight on the Liloan town government’s lechon purchases, dating all the way back to the first half of 2022 when Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco was the mayor.

The town government spent  P1.357 million to buy 207 lechons last year, which state auditors called “irregular and unnecessary.”

“A transaction conducted in a manner that deviates or departs from, or which does not comply with standards set is deemed irregular. A transaction which fails to follow or violates appropriate rules of procedure is, likewise, irregular,” read part of the audit report.

The 2022 purchases were traced back to the time when the tourism secretary was mayor, and the lechon tradition was continued by her successor, Liloan Mayor Aljew Frasco.

Christina, daughter of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, served as mayor of Liloan town until mid-2022 when she was appointed to serve in the cabinet of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 

Aljew, the current mayor, is her husband’s cousin.

Based on the list of purchases attached to the audit report, 102 lechons were bought between January to June 2022, during the mayorship of Christina.

In its 2022 report, the COA described the purchases “irregular and unnecessary” because public funds were used for “religious or private purposes.”

The state auditors noted that the lechons were given to various private and religious organizations for different events that included team-building, founding anniversaries, graduations, general assemblies, and get-togethers.

The COA said the lechon purchases deprived “the constituents of projects or services that could have been derived from the use of the said funds.”

State auditors also cited the Local Government Code, which prohibits the use of public funds or property for religious or private purposes.

Among the organizations listed by the COA to have received lechons from the local government were the Pastoral Parish Council, Knights of Columbus, Semeon Ayuda Parents-Teachers Association, and Liloan Operators and Drivers Transport Multi-Purpose Cooperative.

The biggest single purchase took place on October 3, 2022, when 14 lechons worth P100,500 were bought by the town government for barangays of the municipality. 

Auditors annotated the “Purpose” column as “For all 14 Barangays of the municipality” without specifying a specific purpose.

Another transaction questioned by the COA included the purchase of eight lechons for P48,000 for the Semeon Ayuda Christmas Light Up activity on February 7, 2022, months before the elections when Christina was still the town’s mayor.

Under Aljew’s administration, the town government spent another P45,500 on October 3, 2022 for lechons. These were for the Liloan National High School, Simeon Ayuda Elementary School, Cotcot BHWs, and Barangay Poblacion Capability Building, as well as the Simeon Ayuda Elementary School Moving-Up and Graduation exercises, the COA report showed.

Auditors also noted that the town government also bought lechons for year-end assessments and Christmas parties of its various departments, including the local police station, three planting activities, inaugurations, the blessing of a basketball court, the groundbreaking of public roads, and local festivals.

Auditors said town government’s offices already arranged buffet meals but still included lechons.

“The procurement of lechon for the above-mentioned activities was deemed unnecessary for it is not essential in carrying/attaining the objectives of the programs or activities at hand,” the auditors said.

The COA said the town government’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) was responsible for buying the lechons, as shown by the disbursement vouchers and other supporting documents.

In response to the COA report, Aljew ordered a halt to all future requests for lechons for any activity or gathering.

But he pointed out that the amount spent was relatively small, and asserted that the purchases were in line with Filipino tradition, and supported local lechon vendors who are known for their tasty roasted pigs.

Aljew said the municipal government was committed to being transparent and accountable. 

In a statement, he said the COA’s “unmodified opinion” referred solely to the financial report and did not provide conclusions on compliance with laws and regulations.

The mayor said the 2022 audit report showed that the Liloan town government’s financial statements were prepared in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework. 

Aljew said, “Receiving COA’s highest rating for unmodified opinion validates, among others, Liloan’s responsible and justified procurement decisions, highlighting the transparency and accountability inherent in its operations. Liloan has been consistently recognized by COA with the highest rating since the time of then mayor, now Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco. This has been the fifth year of unmodified opinion for Liloan – 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021 and now 2022.”

“I would like to clarify that the COA audit covers the year 2022 and the procurement of the lechon was not a one-time purchase but rather made on different dates for several occasions…,” Aljew said.

The COA issued a clarification on June 22, 2022: “An unmodified opinion (also referred to as unqualified opinion) is issued when the auditor concludes that the financial statements are prepared, in all material respects, in accordance with the applicable financial reporting framework.” 

It added that “an audit opinion does not provide any conclusions on the agency’s level of compliance with laws, rules and regulations, nor the application of the principles of economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in the agency’s operations.” – Rappler.com