Palace: OP sent letters for uncollected bills on Marcos' foreign trips in April, May
Palace Press Officer and PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro (Betheena Unite)
Malacañang said the Office of the President (OP) has already sent demand letters to collect the outstanding bills from agencies as early as April and May.
Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said this after the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged the over P14 million uncollected expenses for President Marcos' foreign trips.
Castro also said that 55 percent of the receivables has been collected so far.
"Collection letters were already issued in April and May 2025. Of the said amount, P7,887,555.64 or 55 percent were already collected to date," Castro said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday, Dec. 2.
The Palace official also assured that the OP has been consistently monitoring the outstanding bills through demand letters.
"The OP consistently monitors the outstanding bills through monthly aging report and sending of collection demand letters," Castro said.
"Kaya po nagbibigay na po ng mga demands ang OP sa mga ahensya para po mabayaran pong muli—rather mabayaran iyong kanilang mga kakulangan at ito naman po ay dumadaan sa legal na proseso (That’s why the OP is now issuing demands to the agencies so that the unpaid amounts—rather, the deficiencies they still owe—can be paid, and this is going through the proper legal process)," Castro explained.
COA has flagged the OP for its "overdue receivable from other agencies pertaining to airfare and hotel accommodations of government officials initially paid by OP in connection with foreign travels amounting to P14,403,827.63 remained uncollected as of December 31, 2024."