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De Lima hits back at Duterte for digging up old COA findings on DOJ, DILG


Senator Leila de Lima on Wednesday hit back at President Rodrigo Duterte for saying she and former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas were also flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) during the previous administration.

"For someone who cannot even publicly disclose and release his own SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth), Duterte's accusation against me and Sec. Mar Roxas regarding COA's past reports on our agencies is just plain rich in irony and hypocrisy," de Lima said in a statement.

De Lima served as Justice secretary while Roxas was Interior and Local Government secretary during the administration of Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

In a taped address aired Tuesday night, Duterte hit de Lima and Roxas for old COA reports on supposed unliquidated funds of their respective agencies.

Duterte said the DOJ had an unliquidated cash advance in 2013, while the DILG had an unliquidated fund transfer in December 2014.

'Misdirection'

But according to de Lima, who is currently detained on drug-related charges, Duterte's raising the issue "is a clear case of misdirection."

"I challenge Duterte to file cases with the Ombudsman arising from those COA reports. He cannot, because those accounts have long been settled and closed," said de Lima.

She added that she other Cabinet members of the Aquino administration "always took COA reports seriously, corrected whatever deficiencies were identified in those reports, and acted accordingly to comply with COA recommendations."

"Hindi kami katulad ng mga ilang tao sa gobyerno ni Duterte na magngangangawngaw sa telebisyon, at lalong hindi katulad ni PNoy si Duterte na pagbabantaan ang COA dahil lamang ginawa nito ang trabaho nila," she said.

(We are not like some people in the Duterte government who ramble on TV, and PNoy was not like Duterte who threatens COA for doing its job.)

The Duterte administration has accused de Lima of benefiting financially from the illegal drug trade inside the national penitentiary during her stint as DOJ chief.

A vocal critic of the administration, de Lima denied the charges, calling them "fabricated."

"Neither I nor Sec. Mar Roxas threatened the COA after those reports were released. Walang nagsisigaw sa aming dalawa sa telebisyon na winarak kami ng COA," de Lima said in an apparent swipe at Health Secretary Francisco Duque III.

(Neither of us screamed on TV that we were destroyed by COA.)

The Department of Health under Duque has been flagged by COA over "discrepancies" in the use of its COVID-19 fund.

Appearing before a House inquiry last week, Duque turned emotional and blasted COA for "destroying" the morale of the DOH.

'File cases'

In a television interview, Roxas said if there was corruption under his watch over the COA findings, then cases should have been filed against him.

"It's been seven years since 2014, I don't recall that particular COA finding. If there was such a finding then it is very easy to look at the documents. If there is an anomaly, then clearly cases should have been filed?" the former DILG Secretary said over ANC.

Further, he pointed out that it was the Duterte administration who cleared him after he still received retirement benefits before he left his post in the government.

"Lahat ng nanunungkulan sa gobyerno, 'di ka makakuha ng retirement kung mayroon kang pending na mga issue," he explained.

(For government officials, you can't receive retirement benefits if you have pending issues.)

Also, Roxas said Duterte can still change his legacy and address these allegations against the Duterte administration.

"Keep your eye on the ball. Don't point fingers. Mar Roxas is not the president. It is only President Duterte who can do something about this," said Roxas.

Likewise, he said Duterte's tirades against him were "diversion, distraction and drama."

"Parang telenovela 'yan. Kapag 'yan 'di na nila alam kung ano sasagutin, 'yan on cue: Tawagin si Mar Roxas. Dapat nga may talent fee na ako," said Roxas.

(It's like a telenovela. When they don't know what to say anymore, it's their cue to call on Mar Roxas. I should get a talent fee.)  — with Consuelo Marquez/KBK/BM, GMA News

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