‘Pay Boracay Hotel’, CoA tells ex-DoT execs

Although they are no longer with the Department of Tourism, former Secretary Wanda Teo and Undersecretary Kat de Castro, now with the Philippine Information Agency, are still hounded by controversy.

They have been ordered by the Commission on Audit to pay bills they left behind when they visited a hotel in Boracay in 2018.

This after Discovery World Corporation, which runs Discovery Shores Boracay, sent a billing to CoA asking for the payment of P456,000 under the account of Teo and De Castro and the DoT when they stayed at the 5-starhotel from 28 February to 3 March 2018 and 25-27 April 2018 to attend meetings on the Boracay rehabilitation.

Aside from Teo and De Castro, former Tourism assistant secretary Frederick Alegre, Angelito Ucol, and Julius Disamburun also stayed at the hotel. At the same time, the reservation contracts were signed by DoT Western Visayas regional director Helen Catalbas.

The sum was for hotel rooms, meals, and other services incurred.

In its reply to Discovery World Corporation, CoA said it could not pay the bill, saying the DoT officials' choice of hotel was too lavish when they could have chosen reasonably priced hotels in Boracay.

"Based on the records, the rate at Discovery Shores is P13,000 per room per night. This exceeds the P400 per day hotel/lodging fees allowed …even assuming that the five DoT officials and employees occupied a single room," according to a CoA statement.