Ex-DoST secretary held liable

THE Commission on Audit has held ex-Department of Science and Technology secretary Mario Montejo and nine other officials culpable for disallowed grant of cash incentives of P10,644,705.28 in 2010 and 2011.

The CoA upheld the approval by the DoST of the collective negotiation agreement (CNA) incentives, saying the CNA was only a one-time benefit, and that the funding must be sourced only from savings realized from operating expenses.

An audit of the DoST’s financial records showed the CNA incentives were paid out to officials and employees in 2010 amounting to P5.871 million and in 2011 amounting to P4.774 million although CoA issued notices of disallowance on the disbursements on Nov. 17 and Nov. 18, 2011.