Duterte: Who audits COA? Says he’ll audit all of gov't if he becomes VP

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he wanted to know who audits the Commission on Audit (COA), adding that he will volunteer to become the state auditor of all government agencies if he becomes vice president.

In his second Talk to the People this week, Duterte appealed to COA to give government agencies "elbow room" to comply with its recommendations, after the commission revealed its findings on the Department of Health's utilization of COVID-19 funds,  deficiencies.

"It is not easy really to comply. We know that we should comply, there is no problem about it. But can we have just enough elbow room? Do not adopt the standards of the pre-pandemic days. We have a problem here," said Duterte.

After this, Duterte then asked: "Kaya sinasabi ko sa inyo, sino nag-au-audit ng COA?"

[So I'm telling you, who audits COA?]

"Sino nag aapura sa kanila? Mahirap yan... 'Yun ang problema diyan. For all you know 'yung cases na abutin ng ten years," Duterte added.

[So who goes after them? That's hard. That's the problem. For all you know the cases take ten years.] 

He also asked presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo, who replied there is none.

COA audit

The COA, however, does get audited, and the audit reports on the commission are published on the COA website along with the audit reports on other government agencies.

In an online forum on Aug. 18, former COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza explained that there are resident auditors tasked to audit COA officials, who are also at risk of disallowance.

"Mayroong resident auditor sa COA. Mataray din ang resident auditors namin, nagdi-disallow ng expenses ng mga COA officials," she said.

[COA has resident auditors. They're strict, too, disallowing the expenses of COA officials.]

At a seminar hosted by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism in 2014, COA Director Carmelita Antasuda—currently Director IV of the the commission's Government Accountancy Office—explained that COA has "very strict rules" when it comes to the matter. 

“We are also policing our ranks; pag nalaman namin 'yan [when we find out], that is investigated and administrative cases are filed,” Antasuda said in the PCIJ report.

During Thursday's briefing, Duterte said he will audit all government agencies if he wins the vice presidential race in Eleksyon 2022.

"Mag-file kayo ng kaso, tignan niyo ang rate of... somebody should.. I will do that if I become vice president. Ako na lang mag-audit sa gobyerno lahat pati yung akin.  Magumpisa ako sa akin," the President said.

[I'll audit the entire government, including me. I'll start with me.]

"But just tell me, I am really trying to figure it out in this democratic set up. Sinong nag-audit ng COA? That is my question," he added. — BM, GMA News