House leader refutes Duterte’s raps vs Congress, cites COA’s clean audit of House
HOUSE Majority Leader and Zamboanga City 2nd District Rep. Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe has said that the Commission on Audit (COA) has formally attested to the chamber’s clean audit standing, contradicting any allegations hurled by former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Dalipe cited a COA certification dated October 2, 2023, which confirmed that as of September 30, 2023, the House has no notices of suspension, disallowance or charge.
Furthermore, underscoring the House’s financial health, the COA report published last July 6 highlighted that the House had a budget surplus of P4.69 billion in its 2022 allocations.
“Lahat ng kailangan na i-submit ng House of Representatives, lahat ng kung anong kailangan i-liquidate, ginagawa po ‘yan, nire-report ng House of Representatives sa Commission on Audit,” Dalipe said.
He added: “In fact, meron pong statement, in fact, kumuha ako mismo ng kopya ‘nung statement ng Commission on Audit wala pong notice of disallowance, wala pong notice of charge, wala pong notice of suspension ang ating House of Representatives.
Ibig sabihin po clear po, walang problema ang House of Representatives tungkol sa anumang pondo na binibigay sa Kongreso para i-utilize at i-liquidate.”
Dalipe’s statement comes in light of allegations by former President Duterte suggesting that Congress was not being subjected to COA audits.
“Malinis po ‘yung reporting, ang auditing na hinihingi po ng Commission on Audit. Hindi po exempted ang House of Representatives.
Nagsa-submit po kami sa mga hinihingi ng Commission on Audit, sina-submit po namin lahat,” Dalipe pointed out.
He said the CoA audit process has been extended to all 312 House members, with no suspensions, disallowances or notices of charge found.
Duterte had previously issued a challenge to COA, urging it to disclose the utilization of public funds by members of Congress in previous years.
He said that the House members were saddened by the statements made by the former president, all while pondering the timing of these remarks.
When asked about the motivations behind Duterte’s remarks concerning Congress, Dalipe indicated that they might be tied to amendments in the 2024 national budget and the redistribution of funds.
Dalipe explained that this reallocation was not confined solely to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education, both of which are headed by the former president’s daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio.
He noted that several government departments, including the Department of Agriculture, which is led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., and the Department of Foreign Affairs, experienced modifications.
Earlier, Vice President Duterte-Carpio said “we can live without confidential funds.”
He said these adjustments, encompassing the OVP, were part of a broader strategy of reprioritization that was aimed to address pressing issues, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, and provide support to intelligence agencies responsible for national security.
Dalipe emphasized that the reprioritization of funds involved redirecting resources from various government departments and agencies to those with pressing needs.
These efforts, he said, extended to organizations such as the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), the National Security Council, and the Philippine Coast Guard, which plays a crucial role in assisting local fishermen.
