Sen. Kiko Pangilinan got millions from PDAF that remain questionable – COA

Manila Philippines, The Commission on Audited spanned 462 pages of 2013 audit reports for Senator Kiko Pangilinan, they spotted questionable transactions and projects that were funded by the Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) or pork barrel from 2007 to 2009.

COA reports revealed that several Quezon City-based projects were partly funded by Pangilinan’s PDAF and had no proper documentation or had questionable transactions.

According to COA, P7.3 million from Pangilinan’s PDAF was utilized for the procurement of “barangay office equipment” for at least 17 barangays in Quezon City. The other funds came from former Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. (P100,000) and former Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman (P904,000).

The projects had no documentary support, or papers. Materials purchased did not have receipts or proofs of bidding.

Reportedly, another P1.063 million of Pangilinan’s pork was used to buy other supposed needs of a barangay (still in Quezon City) such as an Apple Macbook laptop, a Nikon DSLR camera, a laminating machine, Sharp DVD player, Sony digital cameras, 19″ Samsung LCD monitor among others.

COA declared these objects as unaccounted, missing, and defective.

A supplier that was paid P186,000 of Pangilinan’s PDAF, called Superjie Trading was declared by COA as “not legally or physically existing”. While business was registered from 2008 to 2009, it operated without a business permit.

The senator also claimed to have given 2 million for barangay operations but such operations is not known to its recipients, nor backed up by documents.

Pangilinan also allegedly used 599,000 for a feeding program and distribution of medicines that possibly never happened.

“These were not supported with … bid documents, project plans, or any document authorizing the conduct of activities and proof of implementation indicating the venue, activities undertaken, beneficiaries, pictures of activities, participating partners, date conducted,” COA said.

Pangilinan also claimed to have spearheaded a livelihood project in Batasan Hills but it had no proof of implementation.

Pangilinan’s wife, actress Sharon Cuneta denied the allegation in 2013 and said that her husband’s pork was “well-accounted for, napunta sa lahat dapat puntahan”.