COA to comply with mandate even after Duterte’s comments, says Aguinaldo

The Commission on Audit (COA) will continue to comply with its constitutional mandate even after President Rodrigo Duterte's criticisms, COA chairman Michael Aguinaldo said on Tuesday.

Aguinaldo made the remark at a congressional hearing a day after Duterte said that the COA should stop flagging agencies for deficiencies and publishing its reports.

“Insofar as the work of the COA... We have a constitutional mandate, we have to comply with that,” Aguinaldo said.

Aguinaldo said the COA didn't flag agencies. He said it was a term used by the media.

“We understand the concern of the president but of course, to begin with, we do not flag. We just observe and recommend,” Aguinaldo said.

“The ‘flagging’ is actually a term used by media pero kami hindi nag-flag [but we don’t flag] because some of our observations are actually positive,” he added.

During his weekly address on Monday night, Duterte said the COA should stop flagging government agencies after state auditors noted “various deficiencies” in the DOH’s use of P67.32 billion in COVID-19 funds.

“Stop that flagging, goddamnit. You make a report, do not flag. Do not publish it because it would condemn the agency or person that you are flagging,” Duterte said.

Earlier in the day, the COA Public Information Office declined to comment on Duterte’s statement and said its audit reports are published for the sake of transparency.

Lawmakers have reminded Duterte that no one could stop constitutional bodies such as COA from performing their duties.

Malacañang, meanwhile, said Duterte did not threaten COA but merely expressed his frustration. —NB, GMA News