The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Monday clarified that there are no anomalies surrounding the internal funds and inventory of its K-9 unit.

Commander Allen Dalangin, commanding officer of the PCG K-9 Unit, said that they had submitted the latest audit report and complied to the observation memorandum sent to them by the Commission on Audit (CoA) dated March 11 asking Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo a full accounting of 114 imported-breed dogs used in anti-illegal drugs and bomb-sniffing operations along the different port terminals in the country whose total price was placed by PCG at P6 million.

Dalangin explained that the amount of P6 million despite having 114 active K-9 dogs were merely donation from the private sector and pet lovers. The P6 million was a donation by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) when the unit was inaugurated way back in 2002.

The fund according to Dalangin brought around 24 international-breed dogs such as Belgian Malinois, Labrador, Golden Retriever and German Sherperd as a starting unit force for the K-9 unit.

“The majority of our K-9 assets were merely donations from the private sector and more than 50 percent of our current assets were new breeds or products of the previous donation. The P6 million was the only budget allotted when the K9 unit started in 2002. After that, we already produce our own breeds without spending,” Dalangin said.

He explained that the CoA lauded them for the successful training and breeding of the K9 unit.

Dalangin added that the PCG is currently spending a maintenance fee of P5,000 per dog monthly which include food, medicines and shelter.

Meanwhile, Lt. Commander Armando Balilo, PCG spokesman and deputy chief of staff for community relations, said the Coast Guard has terminated most of the postpaid cellphone lines issued to some of their officials as early as last year.

Balilo explained that Tamayo ordered to retain two postpaid lines, the one assigned to him being the PCG Public Information Officer and another one to the helpline which is under the Coast Guard Action Center.

The PCG spokesman also explained that the reason why the postpaid bill of the PCG Action Center ballooned at P34,000 sometime last year was due to the several monitoring call made during the height of typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng, Ramil and Santi.