The Philippine Army is being asked to explain fake registration documents on at least 567 military trucks, said the Commission on Audits.
In the 2013 Army audits report which was released on Monday, the COA said a total of 9,473,260 pesos was spent on fake Land Transportation Office papers for trucks from August 2012 to September 2013.
The funds came directly from the Army headquarters and were released as ‘cash advances’ for three special disbursing officers from the Headquarters Support Group and Army Logistics.
“Expenses for the registration of 567 military trucks in CYs 2012 and 2013 paid out of the cash advances of three special disbursing officers …was supported with Official Receipts (ORs) and Certificates of Registration (CRs) which were not among the official forms printed for the exclusive use of the LTO hence, considered spurious documents,” COA report said.
Government auditors said aside from fake ORs and CRs, they discovered that registration fees paid for all trucks was a uniform amount of 18,010 peso broken down as 15,855 pesos “registration fee”; 145 peso for “Plate”; 10 peso for “Legal Research Fund”; and 2,000 pesos as “penalty”.
Penalties were imposed even if a vehicle’s registration was late or advanced.
The trucks’ ORs/CRs were typewritten instead of computer-printed.
“The dates of the Certificate of Registration is the same date with the date in the Official Receipt even if the amount being paid is for the renewal of the registration,” the COA said.
All of the transactions were made at the LTO District Office in Iligan City and LTO District Office No. 1046, or the LTO Tubod Extension Office in Lanao del Norte.
“There were instances that a military truck was registered twice or up to four times during the year using different plate numbers but with the same engine number and chassis number,” COA said.
Auditors assigned to the Philippine Army checked with the LTO and confirmed that the military trucks’ are fake.
The COA said the Army should launch an investigation into the irregularities and file charges against its personnel responsible.
The Army, in its reply to COA, said the OR/CR forms were sourced from the LTO Central Office in Quezon City.
It also submitted certifications were signed by Marvin Ursal, OIC of the LTO-Tubod Office and Monadato Mangandang, chief of the Iligan District Office.
COA rejected the Army’s certifications, which do not explain the use of fake government forms.