COA asked to check PNP's receipt of PCSO funds

KIMBERLY JANE TAN, GMA News

Senate blue ribbon committee chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III on Monday asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to determine whether the Philippine National Police (PNP) actually received and utilized the money given to it by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).

"Nagamit (ba) talaga ng pulis sa tamang paggamit (Did the police receive the money and use it properly)," Guingona said during the continuation of the Senate blue ribbon panel hearing on the alleged anomalies besetting the PCSO.

Rojas said the charity fund has been allocating 5 percent of its funds for the PNP: 0.5 percent to the national PNP, 0.5 percent to the regional PNP, 1 percent to the provincial PNP, and 3 percent to the city and municipal PNP.

"They are supposed to get it on a monthly basis," he said.

He said the funds for the national PNP is coursed through the PCSO but the funds for the local PNP are coursed directly through the small town lottery (STL) operators.

But when Guingona asked whether they confirmed that the local PNP actually received the money, Rojas said they were furnished acknowledgement receipts but that he still couldn't categorically say that they were sure the police received it.

Lawyer Fidela Tan of the Commission on Audit, who was also present during the hearing, likewise said that she did not know the PNP received the money.

Guingona then asked the COA to look into the matter.

The Senate hearing was ongoing as of posting time.

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