MANILA – A Commission on Audit (COA) report has uncovered financial irregularities totaling P13.9 million in the municipality of Kawit, Cavite, implicating Mayor Angelo Emilio Aguinaldo in potential corruption and misuse of public funds during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The audit, detailed in a report obtained by Manila Media, shows that the Kawit municipal government issued single checks to cover multiple claims or Disbursement Vouchers (DVs) for the same payees, violating standard accounting procedures and making it difficult to track individual transactions.

In 41 instances throughout 2020, the municipality combined two to 37 distinct claims into single checks, totaling P13,929,888.49. This practice contravenes Section 111 of Presidential Decree No. 1445, which mandates that government agencies maintain detailed accounts to meet fiscal needs and provide accurate information to control agencies.

The report states: “The highest standard of honesty, objectivity and consistency shall be observed in the keeping of the accounts to safeguard against inaccurate or misleading information.”

Auditors found that Mayor Aguinaldo was the most frequent beneficiary of these consolidated payments. Out of the 41 instances, Aguinaldo received six separate checks combining multiple claims:

1. Check No. 1042964 for P333,777.17, combining 15 DVs
2. Check No. 1043131 for P269,311.42, combining 2 DVs
3. Check No. 1043132 for P286,339.34, combining 25 DVs
4. Check No. 1043590 for P152,843.13, combining 13 DVs
5. Check No. 1043645 for P308,000.00, combining 7 DVs
6. Check No. 1044058 for P180,643.13, combining 10 DVs

In total, Aguinaldo received P2,430,297.19 through these six checks, which combined 72 separate claims.

“The Municipal Accounting Office was able to provide the Audit Team with the List of Expenditures pertaining to these expenses but most of them did not have reference number or had only the Obligation Request Number as reference,” the report states.

The audit team encountered significant difficulties in locating the DVs due to the Municipal Treasurer’s practice of combining several DVs with the same payee into a single check and recording it as one transaction in the Cashbook.

Other notable beneficiaries of consolidated checks include:

• Ernest Funeral Services: P1,898,500.00 (26 DVs combined)
• 3PS Catering Services: P4,045,345.00 (5 DVs combined)
• Servando’s Restaurant: P324,850.00 (16 DVs combined)
• ECPAC Systems Corporation: Two checks totaling P89,300.00 (11 DVs combined)

The COA recommended that the Municipal Mayor to “refrain from consolidating multiple claims or DVs in one check regardless of whether or not the DVs pertained to the claims of one and the same payee to ensure a more effective and efficient tracing, monitoring and examination of individual DVs and supporting documents.”

The revelations in this COA report raise serious questions about the mismanagement of P13.9 million in public funds in Kawit municipality during a critical period of the COVID-19 pandemic. The practice of consolidating multiple claims into single checks, particularly those benefiting the mayor, may warrant further investigation by appropriate authorities.

As of press time, Mayor Aguinaldo has not responded to requests for comment on the audit findings.