MANILA. Philippines – Adelinda Perez, a former cashier at the Department of Education (DepEd) in Sorsogon, found a momentary reprieve from a two-decade financial burden. The Commission on Audit (COA), in a rare decision, suspended efforts to collect over P3 million in stolen payroll funds after acknowledging Perez’s frail health and difficult circumstances.
The decision, although temporary, gave the aging Perez a brief respite from the weight of bureaucracy and her staggering financial obligation.
Perez’s burden traces back to 2002 when P3.7 million, meant for mid-year bonuses and cash gifts for DepEd employees, went missing.
Police investigators concluded that it was an inside job, but Perez and two others were cleared of any criminal liability.
The COA, however, held them responsible administratively and they were still required to pay – a debt Perez, now elderly and battling illness, has been unable to fully repay.
The others held administratively liable, former DepEd Sorsogon division superintendent Dominador Osea and disbursing officer Nydia Bercasio, have since passed away.
For years, Perez struggled to make a dent in the amount, managing to pay only P277,937.
The heirs of Bercasio, the late former DepEd-Sorsogon disbursing officer, contributed P309,441. But together, their payments scarcely eased the debt.
Living on a meager pension from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Perez pleaded with the COA on April 22, 2022, to write off the remaining amount, citing her advanced age and mounting medical expenses.
Initially, her request was denied by the COA on the ground that the court rulings on the criminal aspect of the case were not binding upon the Commission. The COA had also pointed out that her age, health problems, and financial struggles didn’t qualify as “exceptional circumstances” for debt relief based on the rules.
Subsequently, the COA granted her temporary relief in a pro hac vice decision, a Latin phrase meaning “for this particular instance.”
While not a write-off, the commission’s decision, signed by COA Chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba and Commissioners Roland Café Pondoc and Mario Lipana, provided that Perez would not be required to make further payments “for the meantime,” and until she is able to pay.
“Notwithstanding the above discussion and for humanitarian consideration, since Ms. Perez is the only surviving person liable to refund the remaining balance, who is already of advanced age, with medical condition, and currently experiencing financial constraints, she will not, for the meantime, be required to pay the said amount,” read part of the COA ruling. – Rappler.com
