The Commission on Audit (COA) has directed Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental to pay Limar's Medical Supplies Trading P245,917.50 for the medicines and vaccines the city government purchased in 2020.
Limar's Trading, through its proprietor John-jay S. Ramil, filed a petition for money claim before the COA.
Ramil told the COA that Mayor Lemuel Meyrick M. Acosta issued Memorandum Order No. 319-2022 and directed its accounting office to process the payment.
He said his firm delivered 50 boxes of Lorsatan tablets punctually and had been distributed to the city residents.
However, despite the memorandum and several follow-ups made, Limar's Trading still remains unpaid. The city accountant held a view that Limar's Trading was not a qualified supplier.
The COA found Limar's Trading petition meritorious and said that the delivery of various medicines was duly signed and conformed. The requirement of proof of actual delivery was likewise complied with, it said.
"While the city accountant should be commended for her unwavering commitment to her duty for not allowing the payment after finding deficiencies in the documents submitted, equity dictates that the supplier should be compensated for the medical items that were delivered and duly accepted by the city," it also said.