NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.

Office of Governance and Accountability (OGAR), tasked by the Aumentado administration to effect better governance, took an initial step to put the expenditures under microscopic scrutiny, specifically covering the period from January to July 2022. 

Significantly, this will also cover the election campaign period that ended with the polls in May 2022.

The table below chronicles OGAR’s findings:

(A) Office of the Governor under MOEE (Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses) P54M obligated out of the P116M Budget.

(B)  Programs and Projects P35M obligated out of P78.5M Budget.

(C) Heat Caravan Outreach Program P3.49M obligated out of the P3.4M Budget.

(D) Other MOEE P2.55M obligated out of P3M Bdget.

(E) Counterpart Funding for LGUs, NGOs, etc. and Other General Services- P18.4M was obligated out of P22M Budget.

(F) Other Professional Services – P.4M obligated out of P 8M Budget.

(G) Support for LGU Waterworks:  P.5M Obligated out of P 8M Budget.

(H) Support for LGU Infra P11.75M was obligated out of P12.5M Budget.

(I) Office of the Governor Primer Project involving radio and TV Programs, Info Komiks – P14.8M was obligated out of P26.5M.

(J) Object of Expenditures, Donations budgeted under various departments – P385M or 73% of P528M was obligated.

(K) Total Fuel and Lubricants:  P23M of P118M Obligated.

(L) Drugs and Medicines P23M obligated out of P73M.

(M) Medical, Dental and Lab Supplies: P34M of P211M Obligated.

(N) Food Supplies: P14M of P45M Obligated.

(O) Other Professional Services: P93M out of P231M Obligated.

(P) Other General Services: P115M of P273M was obligated.

(Q) Agricultural and Marine Supplies: P 23M of P1445M Obligated.

(R) Cable, Satellite, Telegraph and Radio: P11M of P23M Obligated.

The OGAR statement said:” while this is the first time that the budget line items and their corresponding obligations/expenditures are exposed to the public, the underlying question is, – are these expenditures which were incurred during the election period for the benefit of the Bol-anons and were distributed equitably or were the money used to beef up the campaign funds of former Governor Art Yap who, thus, benefited, to the people’s detriment.?”

The public eagerly awaits OGAR’s findings.