MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) upheld its previous orders directing the Social Security System (SSS) to return P41.31 million worth of irregular cash incentives paid to employees and officials of the pension firm from January 2005 to December 2009.
In a decision released on April 15, COA Chairman Michael Aguinaldo and commissioner Jose Fabia declared as "final and executory" the notice of disallowance issued by the audit agency in 2012, which covered cash incentives paid to SSS personnel in its Central Visayas Division.
In doing so, COA affirmed its February 2015 ruling and dismissed the petition for review filed by the SSS.
COA added that the SSS exceeded the 180-day period for challenging the notice of disallowance.
A 2010 audit report showed that the P41,311,073.83 amount was part of the P926.874 million Collective Negotiations Agreement (CNA) incentives deemed "irregular and excessive" by the COA.
State auditors said that the incentives were given out to contractual employees, lawyers, and executives of the Social Security Commission, despite rules saying that only rank-and-file employees were supposed to receive the stipend.
COA added that SSS issued the stipends in excess of the prescribed limit, which is set at no more than 80% of the total savings of the SSS's maintenance and operating budget from the preceding year.
Auditors said that the SSS paid out a total amount of P161.269 million in excess of the limit. – Rappler.com