Editorial: Audit report bares misuse of Road Users Tax
The Commission on Audit, whose reports on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), led to declaration of these spending programs as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, has continued its steady work of checking on billions of pesos in public funds and discovering irregularities of all kinds. Its latest report on the Motor Vehicles Users Charge (MVUC), better known as the Road Users Tax, is once again an expose of improper use of the people’s money. Since 2007, this charge has been collected from all vehicle owners in the country to finance projects related to the safety and maintenance of national and provincial roads. In its 2014 audit report, the COA, among other findings, reported: — The Road Board financed infrastructure projects that were beyond its mandated functions and released funds for projects that were not implemented at all or delayed. Two projects with budgets [...]