CoA flags PCO asset issues

The Commission on Audit (CoA) found deficiencies in the accounting of Property, Plant and Equipment (PPE) at the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) in 2025.

State auditors flagged issues involving the “accuracy, existence, classification and accountability” of PPE accounts totaling P366 million.

The findings included non-existent, missing, and unverified items included in the agency’s balances. In a sample of 40 PPE items, CoA found seven worth P618,000 that were not presented during inspection.

“These items pertained to Communication Equipment and Information and Communication Technology Equipment, thereby casting doubt on their completeness, serviceability, and existence as recorded in the inventory records,” the audit report said.

CoA also found 51 PPE items worth P3.81 million that were not physically verified or counted by the PCO, although they had been presented to the agency’s Property Section.

The auditors requested a verified list of the items presented but had not received one as of 10 April.

State auditors also found duplicate entries worth P2.57 million in the PCO’s books involving office, communication, information, and communication technology equipment.

The duplication was attributed to “data encoding errors,” with the PCO saying the entries would be adjusted accordingly.

CoA also found “semi-expendable properties” included in the PCO’s PPE records.

The audit identified 366 PPE items below CoA’s P50,000 capitalization threshold, including 195 items assigned a nominal value of P1.

“Inquiry with management disclosed that certain PPE items were assigned a nominal value of P1 solely to recognize the existence of properties found in stations, with the understanding that their actual values will be adjusted upon completion of the Property Section’s verification,” the report said.

CoA said it had yet to receive the appropriate values of the flagged assets.