COA warns an LGU for plastering its local officials’ names and faces on billboards for government projects, and for excessive spending on personalized items

The Commission on Audit (COA) warns a local government unit (LGU) in Iloilo for putting the names and faces of its local officials on billboards for government projects.

It also flagged said LGU for excessive spending on personalized items such as calendars, personalized mugs, wallclocks, jackets, among others.

COA said in its audit report that the LGU procured the items “bearing the names or initials and/or images or pictures of government personalities that were considered irregular expenditures.”

COA also noted that the names and faces of the LGU’s local chief executives were seen in two billboards for government road projects.

The LGU defended that it’s their way of telling their constituents of the LGU’s achievements. However, COA pointed out that said practice is prohibited under Department of the Interior and Local Government’s Memorandum Circular No. 2010-101.

Said Circular reminds local government officials to not “take the credit away from the taxpayers who are the ones paying for such programs or projects through their tax payments.”

Source: COA: Stop putting names, faces on items