CHCC will ‘reconcile’ records in response to Finance chief’s concerns | News

COMMONWEALTH Healthcare Corp. Chief Executive Officer Esther Muna said she and CHCC Chief Financial Officer Perlita Santos will reconcile their records to address Finance Secretary David DLG Atalig’s concerns regarding CHCC’s funding requests.

In a September 7 letter, Atalig told Muna that the amount she mentioned in her Aug. 1 memorandum was not what the Legislature had appropriated.

For fiscal year 2018 for example, Muna’s memo indicated that CHCC was appropriated $2.2 million, but based on Finance’s review of the budget law, the corporation was appropriated only $708,311.

For FY 2019, the memo stated that CHCC was appropriated $10.2 million, but Public Law 20-67 indicates that the amount was only $4.2 million.

For FY 2020, the memo stated that CHCC was appropriated $2.9 million when it actually was just $1 million, the Finance secretary said.

He said over those years, the actual appropriations for CHCC totaled $36.4 million, and not $55.8 million as Muna’s memo indicated.

Atalig said of the $36 million, Finance has transferred $26.6 million to CHCC, leaving a remaining balance of approximately $9.8 million.

CHCC is an autonomous public corporation that still receives subsidies from the central government.

Atalig noted that the Torres administration and Finance have shown CHCC “unequivocal support” in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The…