“Who’s auditing COA?” he asks; tells COA to give enough “elbow room” for gov’t amid pandemic
(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte called on the Commission on Audit (COA) to release only its final audit reports and to allow government departments and units “elbow room” to finish audit requirement amid the pandemic.
In his “Talk to the People” on Thursday night, Aug. 26, President Duterte also saw the need to audit the COA, saying he is prepared to take on this job if he is elected as vice-president next year. He said that if he becomes Vice-president, he will also audit and check other government departments to make sure that there are no anomalies or corruption happening.
The President also cited what the COA did to the Department of Health and Secretary Francisco Duque III when it published a still unfinished audit on the DOH while waiting for the department’s documents.
“Huwag kayong maniwala diyan sa oposisyon na wala pa — hindi pa natapos ‘yung proyekto kagaya nitong kay Secretary Duque. Eh ito namang — you know, COA may trabaho siya, patapusin mo muna bago mo i-audit kasi kung i-audit mo ‘yan ngayon, skeletal force, may COVID walang — walang sasakyan, wala lahat,” he said.
-Duterte to COA: Don’t adopt pre-pandemic standards-
Duterte said that he is not saying that government departments should not comply with the COA audit requirements, but that COA should give enough leeway amid the difficulties being encountered by departments amid the pandemic. He called on COA “not to adopt the standards of the pre-pandemic days.”
“It’s not easy really to comply, we know that we should comply. There is no problem about it. But can we have just enough elbow room at this time? Do not adopt the standards of the pre-pandemic days,” he said.
The President said that there was also a need for someone to audit COA. He even asked his chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo the question during his “Talk to the People” late Thursday.
“We have a problem here, kagaya sa sabi ko sa iyo, sa inyo, sinong nag-au-audit ng COA? May I ask that question? Ikaw, Sal? Marunong ka man sa batas, sinong nag-au-audit ng COA?” he said to which Panelo answered, “wala (no one).”
-Duterte recalls SC case against COA audit –
Duterte said he himself had been a victim of a wrong audit by COA. He said he brought the case up to the Supreme Court which favored him in the end.
“Sinong nag-aapura sa kanila? Mahirap iyan. You know, everything hindi sabihin na ikaw ‘yung tigasilip na hindi ka na rin masilip. Iyan ang problema diyan. For all you know, the cases na mag — aabutin ng mga 10 years. Kaya ako sabi ko nga sa iyo, bakit ako ganito ang salita ko? Dahil nga biktima ako sa inyo. Iyan ang problema diyan,” he said.
“From your reports nagkakaso ako, dumating ako ng Supreme Court. Ang masakit diyan sabi ng Supreme Court, ‘si Duterte ang tama.’ Kasi sinasabi ko doon sa audit pa lang, sabi ko, ‘Abugado ako, adre, alam ko ang ginagawa ko.’ Oh eh ayaw maniwala. Pagdating sa Supreme Court sabi ng Supreme Court, ‘tama si Duterte.’,” Duterte recalled.
He then stressed the importance of another authority or government body auditing the COA.
“Somebody should do it. I will — I will do that if I become vice president. Ako na lang rin ang mag-audit sa lahat ng gobyerno. Lahat, pati ‘yung akin, mag-umpisa ako sa akin. But just tell me — I have been really trying to figure out in this democratic setup — sinong au-audit ng COA? That is my question,” he said.
(Eagle News Service)
