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‘I stand corrected’ Eleazar apologizes for COA remark

August 19, 2021 Alfred P. Dalizon 427 views

AN apologetic Philippine National Police chief General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar said he was wrong in suggesting that the Commission on Audit should stop releasing its reports to the media and instead return to the previous practice of talking with concerned government agencies about their concerns on their budget spending.

“I stand corrected,” said the top cop hours after he suggested in a media forum that the COA should stop releasing its audit reports to the media and instead revert to the old ways when all observations on budget spending are internally directed to the government agencies concerned.

“During a consultation which I initiated last night with concerned officials of the Philippine National Police, the entire process on how disbursements works and up to the level of COA intervention were discussed. And it was made clear to me that the COA does not issue press statements and instead, posts its audit reports on its website as part of its Constitutional mandate for transparency,” Gen. Eleazar said in a press statement.

“It was also discussed that the COA has been actually doing what I have suggested by sending its observations to the PNP offices concerned and giving them enough time to review and correct its observations before a report is published on its website,” he added.

Following his consultation with his top officials including those from the PNP Directorates for Comptrollership and Logistics, Gen. Eleazar directed all 17 Police Regional Offices, the different PNP National Administrative and Operational Support Units and the PNP National Headquarters to further improve their coordination with their respective Resident Auditors. The PNP chief said he want all concerned officials to immediately act on observations from their Resident Auditors to prevent unnecessary situations when the PNP, or any of its unit, becomes the subject of the COA Annual Audit Reports which are eventually misconstrued as tantamount to misuse of funds, or worse corruption.

“The Philippine National Police has been taking all the COA observations seriously and in fact, has instituted various measures to further improve our budget spending based on whatever the recommendations would suggest over the years,” Gen. Eleazar said.

He emphasized that the move is also in line with their Intensified Cleanliness Policy which he launched on “Day One of my tour of duty as the Chief PNP which is aimed at further gaining the trust and respect of our kababayan through fast, reliable and honest public service.” “I assure the Filipino people that the hard-earned money they give to the PNP through their taxes is safe and is wisely spent as part of our continuous commitment to genuine reforms that are anchored on transparency, accountability and professionalism,” Gen. Eleazar said.

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