By Mar-Vic Cagurangan
Variety News Staff

SENATOR Ben Pangelinan, D-Barrigada, yesterday asked the Office of the Public Auditor to look into the cash balances of special funds identified in Public Law 28-151 as potential sources for the partial payments of the cost of living allowances.
Pangelinan was referring to the Territorial Highway Construction Fund, the Tourist Attraction Fund, the GTA Privatization Fund, and the Interim Transition Office Fund, which were estimated to have a combined balance of $23 million as of Oct. 26, 2006.
P.L. 28-151, which was passed by the 28th Legislature late last year, authorizes the governor to tap into the special funds for partial COLA payments. No payments have been made since the COLA bill was signed into law.
“During deliberations in the committee of the whole session, administration officials assured the 28th Legislature that approximately $23 million was free, clear and unencumbered in four accounts and available for appropriation to pay the COLA awards pursuant to the Superior Court order,” Pangelinan stated in a letter to Public Auditor Doris Flores Brooks.
“At a recent public hearing earlier this year, the governor’s chief of staff, Mr. George Bamba, stated the $23 million was no longer available,” he added.
Pangelinan is seeking an audit “in order to determine an accurate balance in the four accounts.”
The Democratic senator took the OPA route after failing to get the documents and information that he had requested from the administration.
Pangelinan alleged Wednesday that the administration’s “continued reluctance to provide the documents I’ve requested…is nothing more than a blatant ploy to prevent the people from knowing what exactly is going on.” 
Department of Administration director Lourdes Perez, however, said the administration has nothing to hide and that the requested documents are available for Pangelinan’s review.