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ADMINISTRATIVE ORDERS
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ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER NO. 123 -
IMPOSING THE PENALTY OF SEVERE REPRIMAND WITH A WARNING ON
OFFICER-IN-CHARGE/REGIONAL DIRECTOR RENATO F. HERRERA OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF AGRARIAN REFORM-REGION IV
This refers to the administrative complaint
filed against Officer-in-Charge/Regional Director Renato F. Herrera of
the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) - Region IV (formerly OIC-RD of
Region III) for gross dishonesty, conduct prejudicial to the best
interest of the service, gross neglect of duty, gross misconduct, and
violation of Sec. 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019, as amended, otherwise
known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The case arose out of the letter-complaint of demoralized DAR Region
III rank and file personnel dated July 23, 1998 addressed to this
Office charging the respondent with acts constituting graft and
corruption, as earlier mentioned. On August 1, 1998, the Presidential
Commission Against Graft and Corruption (PCAGC) received its own copy
of the complaint.
The complainants appeared to be anonymous. In line, however, with its
mandate, i.e., to investigate on its own, and considering that there
appeared to be pursuable leads based on the 1997 Annual Audit Report of
the Commission on Audit, after a fact-finding investigation, the PCAGC,
acting as the nominal complainant, filed the "Formal Charge" against
the respondent. Finding sufficient cause for an administrative
investigation, the PCAGC, in an order of April 27, 1999, required the
respondent to file his counter-affidavit.
The facts of the case are as follows:
1.
2.
3.
After due hearing, the Commission found that:
"There are two issues to be resolved in the case at bar, which are: 1)
Whether or not the respondent is administratively responsible for the
failure of his office to withhold the caterer's tax; and 2) Whether or
not the respondent is administratively responsible for the audit
findings in the 1997 Annual Audit Report.
I.
The evidence disclosed that Disbursement Voucher No. 15-94-040583 was
drawn in favor of Lit's Litson in the amount of P6,000.00 for the
payment of meals and snacks served during the Pre-Regional Planning
Workshop held on 11 January 1994. A check, LBP check no. 288838 in the
amount of P6,000.00 in favor of Lit's Litson was issued as payment
therefore. The respondent was found to have approved the voucher in his
capacity as the OIC/Assistant Regional Director for Administration of
DAR Region III and signed the corresponding check as countersignatory.
The transaction in question is no doubt subject to 4% caterer's tax
pursuant to Sec. 114 of the National Internal Revenue Code which
reads as follows:
'Sec. 114.
(1)
Likewise, the responsibility of withholding the prescribed creditable
value-added tax from any payment due the seller of goods and the
designation of withholding agents have been clearly established under
Sec. 4 of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Revenue Regulation
No. 10-93, thus:
Sec. 4.
In his Counter-Affidavit, respondent Herrera denied that there was
overpayment since the service contract shows that the total expenditure
to be paid was Six Thousand Pesos (P6,000.00) and the amount disbursed
by government was the same amount of Six Thousand Pesos. Further,
respondent Herrera averred the following:
'1.
2.
3.
"It is established that the contract between DAR Region III and Lit's
Litson for the latter to serve the meals and snacks of participants of
the Pre-Regional Planning Workshop on the 11th of January 1994 is
subject to the caterer's tax equivalent to 4% of the gross receipt
pursuant to Sec. 114 of the National Internal Revenue Code.
A close examination of Disbursement Voucher No. 15-94-040583 shows that
a withholding tax equivalent to 4% of the gross amount of P6,000.00 or
P240.00 was withheld by means of account 8-84-1-100 resulting in a net
amount due the seller of P5,760.00 shown by means of account 8-70-707.
Contrary however to the accounting entries in the voucher, the check
issued as payment therefore, LBP check no. 2888838 dated 18 April 1994
was in the gross amount of P6,000.00, instead of the net amount of
P5,760.00.
The error resulted in the failure of DAR Region III to withhold the
caterer's tax that should have been deducted from the gross amount due
Lit's Litson for remittance to the BIR pursuant to Sec. 4 of BIR
Revenue Regulation No. 10-93.
The respondent, not only as OIC/Assistant Regional Director of
Administration of DAR Region III but approving official of the voucher
and signatory to the check cannot, and should not be allowed to
conveniently pass on to his subordinates, in this case, the Chief
Accountant, his fiscal duties and responsibilities in line with the
principle of primary responsibility enunciated under Sec. 102 of
Presidential Decree No. 1445, which reads as follows;
'Sec. 102.
While it is true that there was no overpayment committed, respondent
Herrera is found remiss of his duties and responsibilities as the
Officer-in-Charge for the failure of his office to withhold the
caterer's tax."
II.
"There
are three charges leveled against the respondent based on the 1997
Annual Audit Report, namely: a) illegal disbursement resulting in
disallowances in the net amount of P884,448.82; b) habitual failure to
follow established accounting rules and regulations resulting in
unascertainable validity of inventory-items for sale and fixed assets
accounts; and c) unnecessary expenditures of P250,028.50 as a result of
a Value For Money Audit."
A.
"The post-audit by the Commission on Audit on the 1997 transactions resulted in disallowances of P891,234.52, while settlement during the year amounted to P6,785.70, thus leaving a balance of P884,448.82 at the end of the year.
The bulk of the disallowances represents the payment of additional anniversary bonus (P6,000.00 per employee) which was disallowed by the Auditor on the ground that such payment was without legal basis.
Respondent Herrera declared in his Counter-Affidavit that he was not yet in DAR Region III Office when the alleged unlawful disbursement was made as he was still assigned to the DAR Central Office, therefore, he could not be made to answer to charges which occurred prior to his designation to the post. To support his claim, he submitted copies of DAR Special Order No. 476 dated 2 June 1997 which designated the respondent as OIC/RD of DAR Region III and the certification of Ms. Josephine K. Aguinaldo, Chief, Personnel Section of DAR Region III that respondent assumed office in compliance with said Order on 23 June 1997.
It is established clearly based on the Certificate of Settlement and Balances and the Notices of Disallowance issued for the purpose that the transactions subject of disallowance occurred within the period from 25 September 1996 to 1 April 1997, during which time the respondent was not the OIC/RD of DAR Region III but the Director III of the Administrative Services of DAR Central Office.
Hence, respondent Herrera has proven that he had no participation on the transactions subject of disallowance.
"B.
The Audit Certificate issued by the Auditor as part of her Annual Audit Report from 1994 to 1997 clearly shows that the Auditor had consistently rendered no opinion on the financial statements of DAR Region III in view of the unascertainable validity of inventory - items for sale and fixed assets accounts with combined amount of P105M.
In his Counter-Affidavit, respondent Herrera asserted that: a) he should not be held responsible for the alleged habitual failure to follow established accounting rules and regulations because he only assumed office in DAR Region III on 23 June 1997 shortly before the COA conducted its 1997 annual audit; b) granting that there was habitual failure to follow established accounting rules and regulations, it should not be blamed on his administration because the period between his assumption of office, and the conduct of the 1997 annual audit of COA was too short to implement the necessary corrective measures and could hardly be said to be habitual; and c) the COA report indicates that the office has been complying with the recommendations of the Auditor.
The evidence on hand undoubtedly placed the date of assumption of respondent Herrera as OIC/RD of DAR Region III on the 23 of June 1997. Considering that the 1997 audit covered the period from 1 January to 31 December, the time was indeed so short for the respondent to institute the necessary corrective measures to solve the accounting problem plaguing the DAR Region III for several years which the respondent inherited from his predecessors.
Additionally, the Auditor in the 1994 and 1996 Annual Audit Reports under Part III - Status of Implementation by Management of Prior Year's Recommendations reported that there were efforts exerted in the past to address the accounting problem but was not completed due to some resignations of concerned employees.
Thus, respondent Herrera, considering the timing of his assumption to office, cannot be held responsible for the lapses of internal control committed by his predecessors.
C.
DAR Region III celebrated its 9th CARP Anniversary on 13 June 1997. As part of the celebration, a reservation for 350 expected guests and awardees was made in a restaurant at P203.00 per person even without confirming their attendance. In view of this lapse in planning, it resulted in the non-appearance of 125 expected guests and awardees during the celebration. In spite of this, DAR Region III paid in full the reservation for 350 persons, resulting in wasteful expenditure of P25,375.00 (125 x 203).
When the celebration occurred, the respondent was not the incumbent regional director then since he assumed as OIC/RD of DAR Region III only on 23 June 1997 or ten (10) days after the celebration.
The DAR Region III conference room has accommodation capacity of more or less 50 persons, equipped with airconditioners and sound systems necessary in the conduct of trainings/workshops. DAR Ladies Association (DARLA) is available to provide the catering services at P150.00 per person for meals and snacks; its capability has been proven when the DAR Region III entered into a contract with it during a workshop on 14 October 1997 to serve meals and snacks for 70 participants at P150.00 per person.
The availability of appropriate training/workshop venue in the regional office notwithstanding, during the year 1997, out of the twenty five (25) in-house trainings and workshops conducted, eight (8) were conducted in different hotels and restaurants in the cities of Baguio and Angeles and the provinces of Laguna and Tarlac within the period 22 January 1997 to 17 October 1997 in violation of Sec. 396 (b), Volume I, Government Accounting and Auditing Manual.
Based on the analysis of the Auditor (Annex 6 of AAR), the 8 workshops/sessions had cost DAR Region III a total of P305,953.50; had these been conducted using the facilities of DAR Region III and DARLA catering at P150.00 per person, it would cost P81,300.00 only or a variance of P224,653.50.
During the incumbency of the respondent, three (3) out of the eight (8) workshops/sessions were conducted outside the DAR Regional Office involving expenditure in the amount of P104,460.50; compared to if the facilities of DAR Region III and DARLA catering were used, it would cost P28,800.00 only or variance of P75,660.50.
Audit findings on unnecessary expenditures were the result of a Value For Money Audit, thus, there is no record that said expenditures were suspended or disallowed in audit.
Respondent Herrera in his Counter-Affidavit asserted that the allegation that Two hundred twenty four thousand six hundred fifty three and fifty centavos (224,653.50) have been unnecessarily spent in strategic Planning Workshops/Value Enhancement Sessions because they were not done in the DAR premises is mere speculation. He further averred as follows:
'1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
"Sec. 396 of Volume I of Government Accounting and Auditing Manual provides the regulations on the conduct of government training and development programs, quoted hereunder:
Sec. 396.
'a.
b.
1.
5.
For this purpose, training programs shall refer to those activities
involving instruction and strategies whereby participants will be
required to undergo manual or practical exercises and action learning
as a means of strengthening work and job related skills. In all
instances of training administration, efforts shall be exerted in
utilizing available resources and government facilities.
After careful review of records, the observations of the auditor
appeared to be more credible than the claim of the respondent.
By authorizing the conduct of two (2) seminars/workshops at Blake
Hotel, DAU, Mabalacat, Pampanga and another one at Villa Consolacion,
Baguio City, he failed to exercise due prudence in the use of
government funds as head of DAR Region III who is primarily responsible
therefore, in violation of Sec. 396, Volume I of the Government
Accounting and Auditing Manual and the declared State Policy as
provided for in Sec. 2 of Presidential Decree No. 1445 which reads
as follows:
Sec. 2.
Recapitulating therefore, the Commissions finds that: a) the respondent
is guilty on the first charge for negligence in the performance of his
duty when his office failed to withhold the caterer's tax; b) the
second and third charges are without merit; and c) the respondent is
guilty on the fourth charge to the extent of transactions he
participated in for his failure to exercise due diligence of a good
father of a family in the use of government funds and resources which
is tantamount to negligence in the performance of official duty.
However, respondent's conduct may not be so grave as to deserve a
serious penalty."
On the basis of the foregoing premises, the PCAGC recommended that
respondent be severely reprimanded, with warning.
The findings and conclusions of the PCAGC, supported as they are by, or
at least reasonably inferable from, substantive evidence on record
commend themselves for concurrence.
WHEREFORE, in view of the foregoing and as recommended by the
Presidential Commission Against Graft and Corruption, respondent
Officer-in-Charge/Regional Director RENATO F. HERRERA of the Department
of Agrarian Reform Region IV is hereby SEVERELY REPRIMANDED WITH A
WARNING that a repetition of the same shall be dealt with more
drastically.
Done in the City of Manila,
this 29th day of May, in the year of Our Lord, Two Thousand.
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