MANILA — The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the irregular payment made by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to its caterer from January to March 2022 amounting to P36.868 million.

In the 2022 audit report on the BuCor, auditors said that disbursements were made despite the absence of any bidding process or through alternative modes of procurement.

The auditors noted that the only basis for the disbursements was the notice of extension of contract dated December 20, 2021 addressed to Aurora F. Sumulong Eatery and signed by then BuCor Director General Gerald Bantag.

The audit team said the extension of the contract did not adhere to established rules, regulations, and practices that only allow public bidding and alternative methods of procurement.

“Therefore, it is clear that the extension of contract is irregular because it is without legal basis due to absence of any authority to do so,” the audit team said.

The auditors also told the BuCor management to stop extending contracts without legal basis.

Meantime, the audit team also told the BuCor to properly monitor its terms of agreement with its caterers from January to December 2022, AFS Eatery and Mang Kiko Catering Services, which served “inadequate” meals to Persons Deprived of Liberty at the New Bilibid Prison and the Correctional Institution for Women.

The agency has a budget of P1.264 billion for food subsistence, but its two caterers were allowed to not only serve inadequate portions of rice but also changed the agreed 10-day cycle menu.

The caterers served one cup of rice for each PDL per meal even if the agreement provided that males be served with two cups and females with 1 1/2 cups.

Among the examples cited in the report as changes in the menu were steamed rice and jumbo hotdog for breakfast, when it should have been a hard-boiled egg, dried fish, and boiled rice.

Instead of ginisang munggo with tinapa or pork and boiled rice for lunch, the PDLs were only served steamed rice and pinakbet.

For dinner, the supposed menu of chicken afritada and boiled rice became steamed rice and sardines.

“The failure to comply with the required approval prior to substitution of meals may result in serving meals that are not nutritionally appropriate for PDLs since the substitute meals were not assessed by the BuCor Nutritionist if their nutritional value is the same with the agreed 10-day-cycle menu,” the audit team said.

The auditors recommended that the management impose appropriate penalties against the caterers, aside from ensuring proper implementation of the terms of the agreement with the caterer.

For its part, the BuCor management told the audit team that a policy guideline will be created and changes in its Food Inspection Committee or FIC will also be made.

“The FIC will be reconstituted to fully monitor proper implementation of the Terms and Agreement and ensure that the minimum dietary requirement is provided and delivered to PDLs,” the audit team said.

A copy of the audit report was received by the office of BuCor Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang on July 20, 2023.

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