THE SUPREME COURT has upheld a Commission on Audit (CoA) ruling that disallowed additional incentives to workers of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) worth P12.28 million in 2011.
In a resolution dated Feb. 7 and made public on Aug. 3, the tribunal said the allowances violated a Budget department circular that barred the bureau from paying incentives stemming from negotiations with employees until after the end of the year.
It added that BFAR officials had filed their appeal with CoA to overturn the ruling too late.
BFAR paid 351 of its officers P20.6 million in incentives in 2011. CoA had disallowed P12.28 million for exceeding the agency’s budget that year of P25,000 per employee.
“The court upholds the notice of disallowance to the extent that it disallowed the payment of excess collective negotiation agreement incentives for failure to comply with the Department of Budget bureau circular No. 2006-1,” the High Court said. — John Victor D. Ordoñez