PCO claims refund of overpaid terminal leave pay after COA report
Malacañang bared that it has reached out to former employees to refund overpaid terminal leave benefits after the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged the Presidential Communication Office (PCO) over the P26-million terminal leave pay that lacked justification.
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Photo courtesy of Yummie Dingding/PPA Pool)
In a statement on Thursday, July 6, PCO Secretary Cheloy Garafil said they have already replied to COA regarding the corrective measures being undertaken over the report. "Demand letters were issued to the separated employees requiring them to refund the overpaid TLBs ( Terminal Leave Benefits) and review of the approved TLB applications and submission of the incomplete requirements," Garafil said. This after the COA issued an Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM), noting the overpayment of the TLBs previously paid, upon the instruction and approval of the previous management of the PCO, to its separated officials and employees due to non-deduction of forfeited mandatory/forced leave and payments with incomplete documentary requirements totaling to P26,773,148.47. The commission has flagged the overpayment of P25.75 million terminal leave pay without documents and P1.02 million terminal leave benefits without the necessary deductions to separated employees. According to Garafil, the PCO has already claimed the refund of the overpaid TLBs from 38 separated personnel amounting to P824,625.37, which was already deposited to the Bureau of Treasury. The remaining seven separated personnel, on the other hand, have committed to refund the remaining amount of P203,956.96. "With regard to the incomplete documents, the Human Resource Development Division has already submitted the Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) of the separated officials and employees to COA," the Secretary said. "The Legal Division Chief has likewise previously noted in the clearance forms of the separated officials and personnel that they had no pending administrative cases nor involvement in any pending investigations," she added. The Palace official further said that the PCO "remains committed to ensuring that all internal processes and procedures are compliant with existing and applicable rules and regulations."
President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. (Photo courtesy of Yummie Dingding/PPA Pool)
In a statement on Thursday, July 6, PCO Secretary Cheloy Garafil said they have already replied to COA regarding the corrective measures being undertaken over the report. "Demand letters were issued to the separated employees requiring them to refund the overpaid TLBs ( Terminal Leave Benefits) and review of the approved TLB applications and submission of the incomplete requirements," Garafil said. This after the COA issued an Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM), noting the overpayment of the TLBs previously paid, upon the instruction and approval of the previous management of the PCO, to its separated officials and employees due to non-deduction of forfeited mandatory/forced leave and payments with incomplete documentary requirements totaling to P26,773,148.47. The commission has flagged the overpayment of P25.75 million terminal leave pay without documents and P1.02 million terminal leave benefits without the necessary deductions to separated employees. According to Garafil, the PCO has already claimed the refund of the overpaid TLBs from 38 separated personnel amounting to P824,625.37, which was already deposited to the Bureau of Treasury. The remaining seven separated personnel, on the other hand, have committed to refund the remaining amount of P203,956.96. "With regard to the incomplete documents, the Human Resource Development Division has already submitted the Statement of Assets Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) of the separated officials and employees to COA," the Secretary said. "The Legal Division Chief has likewise previously noted in the clearance forms of the separated officials and personnel that they had no pending administrative cases nor involvement in any pending investigations," she added. The Palace official further said that the PCO "remains committed to ensuring that all internal processes and procedures are compliant with existing and applicable rules and regulations."