The Commission on Audit (CoA) has demanded a full accounting of 114 imported and trained dogs whose total price was placed by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) at merely P6 million.

COA auditors said the P6 million price tag for the dogs was actually the original cost for four imported dogs and ten puppies purchased by government in 2002 for the PCG’s to start a canine unit of trained bomb, drug and substance sniffing animals.

Although the PCG was lauded for the successful breeding of highly-trainable dogs for its K9 unit, the state audit firm asked Coast Guard officials to conduct a proper accounting of the value of the dogs, saying that improper valuation is a violation of COA directives.

“It is noteworthy that the K9 unit is successful not only in its training program but also on its breeding program. It was evident, however, that there was no proper accounting for the dogs since the adoption of the K9 units,” the 2009 annual audit report on PCG stated.

The report added: “The dogs had increased by more than 700 percent but the recorded value remains the same in the books.” COA Director Winnie Rose Encallado has called the attention of Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, PCG commander, on the irregularity.

According to Encallado the K9 unit was launched by the PCG in 2002 when the Philippine Ports Authority made available P6 million for the agency to acquire and train the dogs.

From four dogs and ten puppies, the K9 unit grew to 114, with 72 of them already activated for anti-smuggling, anti-narcotics and other operations of the agency. Nine of the dogs have already died.

COA audit examiners reminded PCG that “offspring of animals” should be recorded at standard costs prevailing in the industry. IN the same audit report, COA ordered two PCG officials to refund government some P7,000 worth of telephone toll fee spent for “pasa loads”.

The directive was issued as government auditors warned government agencies against abusing the “post paid” telephone services given them to ensure better communications access.

In the 2009 PCG annual audit report released recendly, COA chided officials of the agencies for misusing the post paid telephone services.

“Pasa load” or transfer of post paid telephone loads to other telephone lines appeared to be one of the abuses committed by PCG men.

“The use of postpaid mobile ;phones was not monitored resulting in unnecessary and irregular expenses and abuse on its usage contrary to COA rules,” said Encallado.

Encallado said the PCG spent a total P2,244,196.11 for mobile telephone expenses in 2009. OF the amount, P692,009.03 was spent for subscription on seven post paid lines.

However, a check made by state auditors indicated that the PCG has been religiously paying the monthly subscription rates for four mobile phone services which are “no longer being used.”

“Fix monthly subscription rates for mobile numbers 09177245402, 09178632542, 09176292528, 09176294177 gives the impression that the users may no longer be using the phone or the usage is below the minimum fix monthly subscrtption,” the COA report said.

It added: “Hence the foregoing numbers are no longer in use, then the agency is wasting its resources for the payment of services no longer availed of.”

Auditors found that some of the telephone services have incurred “overdue charges” that have not been paid.

“In addition mobile 09177243682 had monthly usage ranging from P13,000 to P34,000 which was more than the fixed monthly subscription rate,” the report said.

The illegal sharing of loads to privately owned telephone units were noted in the billing of telephone numbers - 09175355808 and 09177243681.

Tamayo said he has ordered the termination of post paid lines contracted with Globe Telecoms,except for two lines that are being used by the Public Information office and the Coast Guard Action Center.

Encallado recommended the stricter monitoring of postpaid mobile line use, saying that excessive billings should be paid by concerned PCG officials.