The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) over its 13 dormant bank accounts with over P6 million in deposits as it warned that failure to properly handle the accounts might lead to misappropriation or misuse of funds.

In its audit report, the COA said that the DPWH regional office in the National Capital Region has one bank account containing P2,267,996.24 which has remained idle and unused for more than 10 years. 

It said the Nueva Vizcaya 1st District Engineering Office (DEO) has one bank account that was created for cash deposits and payments by creditors with contracts from other government agencies. Its P104,374.14 in deposit has been dormant or inactive for more than nine years.

The Leyte 2nd DEO has four bank accounts that have been inactive for six to eight years already, while the Leyte 3rd DEO has three dormant bank accounts that have remained inactive since 2020. Biliran DEO has two bank accounts deemed inactive and for closure, it also said.

It added that the Isabela City DEO in Basilan has two bank accounts containing P3,644.277.15 that have remained dormant for more than 10 years.

The COA said that when state auditors inquired with the DPWH about these dormant bank accounts, the DPWH officials said the purpose for which the bank accounts were established have already been completed and are no longer applicable.

"Thus, the non-closure of unnecessary and dorman bank accounts not only raises the inaccuracy and unreliability of the reported balance of the cash accounts as [of] year end but also exposes the balances of these accounts to the risk of possible misappropriation/misuse," it said in its report.