MANILA- No public funds were lost in three unauthorized bank accounts of the Department of Justice (DOJ) during the time of its resigned chief Vitaliano Aguirre II, his successor Menardo Guevarra said Wednesday.

Guevarra said he has been assured by the finance unit of the justice department that no public funds were lost in the bank accounts flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA).

“I have been assured that no public money has been lost. Wala namang nawawalang pera. It's just a matter of compliance with the requirements of the COA,” he said.

(No money is missing.)

• COA cites unauthorized accounts, unliquidated funds at DOJ under Aguirre

State auditors, in a report, said the DOJ opened 3 unauthorized bank accounts to "park" government funds and released salaries without supporting documents during the time of Aguirre.

Around P65.68 million was placed in 3 accounts in the Land Bank of the Philippines "without authority," COA said.

Around P52.52 million was kept in an account for the Victims Compensation Fund, while another account for the Witness Protection Program had a balance of P379,706, the report said.

Another P12.72 million was placed in an account intended for the DOJ's Trust Fund for victims of the AMAN Future pyramiding scandal and Typhoon Yolanda, as well as funds for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

Guevarra said he has ordered the finance unit of his department to submit a report on the matter.

“I have already explained [to] the finance people to submit to me the report on these allegations na parang may mga irregularities,” he said.

Aguirre had distanced himself from the irregularities and blamed personnel "below his level."

"I have no participation whatsoever in the transactions subject matter of the Annual Audit Report released by the Commission on Audit (COA)," he said.

-report from Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News