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COA hit OVP over unauthorized legal consultant, private lawyers

By Nidz Godino

"OVP engaged services of private lawyer as legal consultant without written conformity and acquiescence of the Solicitor General and concurrence of COA, and despite having legal officers, in violation of pertinent COA rules and regulations; thus, related payments are considered irregular and unnecessary expenditures," The Commission on Audit (COA) said in its 2021 annual audit report on the Office of the Vice-President (OVP) during the term of former vice president Leni Robredo OVP hired legal consultant and three other private lawyers without required prior approval of the solicitor general.

The COA did not name the legal consultant but said the person, a private lawyer, was hired to be the "Executive Consultant for Legal Affairs" from January 2020 to July 2021 even when the OVP already has an existing Legal Affairs Division (LAD) created in 2020.

Aside from the legal consultant, the COA said Robredo's OVP also hired three private lawyers likewise without required clearance or approval from the Office of the Solicitor-General (OSG).

COA's record showed that one of the private lawyers was hired as "Consultant for Partnership Building and Policy Advocacy for Rural Development" with a monthly salary of P76,907 while the two others were hired as "Executive Consultant for Strategic Communications" and "Regulatory Compliance Consultant" respectively, with a monthly salary of P161,231 each.

"Inquiry also disclosed that OVP did not secure required clearance from the solicitor general in hiring of private lawyers for said consultancy services…it was gathered that, except for Regulatory Compliance Consultant, the other two consultants have been hired by OVP since 2017," the COA said.

The COA had issued a Notice of Disallowance (ND) to the OVP April 5, 2022 to compel OVP officials to return disbursed amounts. The COA received OVP's appeal on ND last May 30,2022.

In a comment, the OVP said that upon Robredo's assumption to office, the OVP submitted a request to the Office of the President for creation of third level positions for core group of policy advisers, including consultant. The OVP, however, did not provide an explanation for the hiring of the three additional private lawyers.

In the same audit report, the COA noted the various COVID-19 response initiatives of the OVP despite not receiving any COVID fund allocation from the national government.

Among projects of OVP cited by the audit body was telemedicine services, Bayanihan E-Konsulta which, in 2021, was able to process 45,990 medical consultation requests and provided COVID-19 care kits to 8,376 patients.

Also cited was the mobile testing center "Swab Cab" which was able to test 7,600 individuals in 2021 as well as "Vaccine Express" which vaccinated total of 48,729 individuals last year, complementing vaccination drives of local government units (LGUs).

The COA said OVP was also able to assist communities, hospitals, frontliners and other individuals affected by COVID-19 pandemic through distribution of personal protective equipment and other COVID-19 related items to various institutions; conduct of relief operations to communities affected by COVID-19 pandemic and implementation of several other COVID- 19 initiatives in different LGUs.

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