KAWIT, Cavite – The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the municipal government of Kawit, under Mayor Angelo Aguinaldo, for failing to submit copies of approved contracts and supporting documents for nine implemented projects, totaling P18,748,584.44, within the required five working days after execution.

This delay contravenes COA Circular No. 2009-001, potentially impacting the timely review and evaluation of the transactions.

According to Section 3.1.1 of COA Circular No. 2009-001, all government entities, including their agencies, instrumentalities, and government-owned and -controlled corporations, are mandated to furnish the Office of the Auditor with a copy of the contract and all related documents within five days of execution.

The required documents include items such as the notice of award, contract agreement, bidding documents, and performance security.

COA revealed that the contracts and documents for the projects implemented in 2018 were only submitted during the post-audit process.

This non-compliance delayed the audit team’s review and hindered the prompt evaluation of the reasonableness of the contracts and associated risks.

Early detection of deficiencies or errors in the contracts is critical to minimizing the misuse of government funds, COA noted.

Moreover, the circular specifies that failure to comply with these requirements constitutes a violation of Presidential Decree No. 1445, the Administrative Code of 1987, and Republic Act No. 6713.

COA warned that responsible officials and employees may face administrative disciplinary actions.

COA stressed the importance of timely submissions, stating that the early discovery of flaws could prevent financial losses and enable corrective measures.

Mayor Aguinaldo has been urged to immediately address this failure to ensure compliance with auditing regulations.