Zarate

Lagman, Zarate defend COA

August 17, 2021 Ryan Ponce Pacpaco 414 views

TWO opposition lawmakers on Tuesday said President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte has no authority to stop the Commission on Audit (CoA) from performing its constitutional mandate of safeguarding the utilization of public funds and making public the results of its audit.

“Duterte conveniently forgot that CoA is an independent constitutional commission which is not accountable to the president.

The right of the people to information cannot be negated and quashed by invoking that officials should be shielded from corruption by perception,” said Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman.

In his weekly taped briefing last Monday, Duterte told CoA to stop flagging government transactions and publishing its reports as it would taint agencies with “corruption by perception”.

House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said CoA is just performing its mandate in uncovering the alleged irrigularities in the Department of Health’s (DoH) utilization of public funds for pandemic’s response.

“The CoA is just doing its constitutional duties and should not be stopped in flagging or pointing out suspected or apparent irregularities on the use of taxpayers’ money,” Zarate said.

“Hindi dapat pinipigilan o tinatakot ang CoA sa paggawa ng constitutional mandate nito, dahil kapag tinigil nila ‘yun ay magbubukas sa lansakang korupsyon sa gobyerno at malubhang pinsala sa interes ng mamamayan,” Zarate stressed.

Lagman said CoA’s audit reports are thoroughly reviewed and documented.

“When major government departments and agencies are found to have unspent and/or misspent their respective budgets, then it is CoA’s obligation to disclose the sanctionable negligence to utilize public funds and the culpable misuse of the people’s money,” Lagman said.

“Instead of immobilizing CoA, Duterte must order the prosecution of the responsible officials of the agencies flagged by CoA and accord them due process,” Lagman added.

Zarate, a Davao-based congressman, said that the “COA have the power, authority, and duty to examine, audit, and settle all accounts pertaining to the revenue and receipts of, and expenditures or uses of funds and property, owned or held in trust by, or pertaining to, the government, or any of its subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities. So instead of castigating the CoA for guarding the people’s funds, President Duterte should be thanking the Constitutional body.”

“Dati ang sabi nya maski ‘a whiff of corruption’ sibak pero bakit ngayon ang ahensya mismo ng pamahalaan na nagbabantay laban sa korupsyon pa ang pinatatahimik at pinoprotektahan naman ang mga may iregularidad sa paggamit sa pondo ng bayan?” Zarate asked.

“Tulad din ba ito nung jetski joke nya laban sa China? As it is, mukhang joke lang din yata ang anti-corruption drive ng Duterte administration,” Zarate ended.

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