COA has no jurisdiction over Red Cross -chairman

On the heels of President Rodrigo Duterte’s demand to have the Philippine Red Cross be audited by the Commission on Audit (COA), its chairman said the non-government organization is not under its jurisdiction.

“We do not have the jurisdiction to audit the Philippine Red Cross,” COA chairman Michael Aguinaldo told the House committee on appropriations during the budget briefing.

It was Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman who asked if the COA can audit the payments to Philippine Red Cross.

“The only thing we can audit is Philhealth payments to Red Cross,” Aguinaldo said.

“We're auditing PhilHealth and not Red Cross,” he said.

Duterte, on Thursday, accused Red Cross’ chairman and Senator Richard Gordon of using the humanitarian organization as a "milking cow” as he demanded the COA to conduct an audit of the Red Cross, a non-government organization.

According to a post on the COA website, one of the responsibilities of the Commission is 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."

Duterte then said they will look into Gordon's records as a public official to determine if the senator is guilty of malversation of funds.

"I'm sure we will find something and we believe that you are also guilty of well sabihin mo nang malversation, well tell us. We will be happy to know kung mayroon o wala. Salamat Mr. Gordon," Duterte said.—AOL, GMA News