Duterte against publishing preliminary reports, not COA annual reports —Roque

Malacañang said Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte has only asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to stop publishing preliminary reports, not the annual audit reports (AAR).

“He was referring to preliminary reports. He is not asking COA to stop their annual audit report (AAR),” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

“If it is not the final observation, hinay hinay po sana (they should be more circumspect),” he added.

Duterte, during his public address late Monday night, slammed COA over its annual audit report (AAR) flagging the DOH for deficiencies in use of P67.3 billion in pandemic 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 Do not publish it because it would condemn the agency or person that you are flagging," the President had said.

Roque on Tuesday said Duterte made the statement out of frustration.

Last week, COA said it never mentioned in its 2020 audit report that corruption attended the DOH's use of its budget amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

COA’s annual audit reports on government agencies and state-run corporations are posted on its website.

The respective reports include the concerned agency’s response to the state auditors findings which can be found under management’s comments. The COA also provides rejoinder to these management’s comments and recommendations on how the agency can address its non-compliance in the same AAR.

Article 9 of the Philippine Constitution provides that COA “has 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.—AOL, GMA News