COA: OP travel expenses up by P367M in Marcos' first 6 months

The Office of the President's (OP) traveling expenses in 2022 increased by P367 million compared with 2021 due to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s official trips in at least six countries, the Commission on Audit (COA) said.

In COA’s Annual Audit Report on the OP, state auditors noted that the office's traveling expenses reached P403 million in 2022, a 996% increase as against the 2021 spending of P36.8 million.

The bulk of the increase was for traveling expenses for foreign trips, which reached P392 million in 2022 from P25 million in 2021, representing the last full year of then President Rodrigo Duterte in office.

COA said the Traveling Expenses-Foreign account is used to recognize the costs incurred in the movement/transport of government officers and employees outside the country. This account also includes transportation, travel per diem, passport and visa processing, and all other travel-related expenses.

“Significant increase of ?367,052,245.96 is due to the official travels relative to the foreign summits and state visits attended by the President during the year in Singapore, Indonesia, United States of America, Cambodia, Thailand, and Belgium,” COA said.

Traveling expenses for local engagements of OP, however, dropped to P10.8 million in 2022 from P11.5 in 2021.

The Training Expenses of OP also went down to P66 million in 2022 from P70 million in 2021.

OP’s expenses for scholarship grants also decreased from P510,740 to P219,110.—LDF, GMA Integrated News