COA questions hiring of Capitol consultants

The Cebu Provincial Government has hired 37 consultants ahead of any authorization from the Provincial Board and even in the absence of Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) registration.

In its annual audit report, The Commission on Audit stated that the non-observance of the recruitment process may have resulted in “curtailed competition.”

Auditors added that the awarding of contracts to consultants who were ineligible at the time of procurement is a “manifestation of bias.”

Capitol’s Budget Officer Danilo Rodas, however, said that the approval by the Provincial Board is unnecessary since the item consultancy service is specifically stated in the budget.