The Commission on Audit (COA) has granted the request of Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella for a 45-working-day extension to resubmit and reconstruct the documents related to the liquidation of the P50-million cash advances used in staging some sports events in Bacolod City during the 2005 Southeast Asian Games.

In a letter dated September 14, COA chairman Reynaldo Villar approved Puentevella’s request without any further extension.

Puentevella told the COA in a letter that “many of the papers and documentations that were earlier submitted as part of the Bacolod Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee (BASOC) liquidation were lost for a period of about six to seven months in the possession of either the PSC or COA.”

Puentevella said that they be given 45 working days to produce the required papers “to finally address the deficiencies that were noted by the COA audit report.”

“Rest assured that this representation and BASOC are doing everything possible to again complete our liquidation report,” Puentevella wrote.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Harry Angping had filed a case of plunder the other day against Puentevella who is also chairman of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Angping said the matter is now between the Department of Justice, where the case had been filed, and Puentevella.

“I assure you there’s no whitewash in this case. He still has to liquidate to the satisfaction of COA or return the money to the PSC,” said Angping.

Puentevella allegedly deposited the amount to his personal bank account before it was disbursed for the repairs and reconstruction of venues in Bacolod as well as other operating expenses, according to PSC lawyer Sixto Brillantes.