COA chairman personally backs abolition of DBM-PS, PITC

Commission on Audit chairman Michael Aguinaldo on Friday said he personally supports the abolition of the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service (DBM-PS) and the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC).

During the resumption of the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the COVID-19 spending of the Health Department, Senator Joel Villanueva asked Aguinaldo if the two procuring entities are still effective in performing their mandate, considering reports of irregularities within the agencies.

“I don’t know if I can speak for the commission when I say this kasi medyo opinion na yung hinhingi niyo. Although personally, from what I’ve seen… I would support the measures that have been filed,” Aguinaldo said, referring to the bills filed which seeks to abolish DBM-PS and the PITC.

(I don't know if I can speak for the commission when I say this because this is already considered an opinion. Although personally, from what I’ve seen… I would support the measures that have been filed.)

“I would be very willing to provide some suggestions on changing the nature by which we procure common use supplies in particular, to make it less susceptible you know any kind of alleged corruption and the like,” he added.

Senator Imee Marcos has recently filed two bills seeking the abolition of the PITC and the DBM-PS due to the alleged “systemic corruption” in the said agencies.

The senator said the mandate of both government procuring arms has become “archaic” and  “irrelevant.”

Both PITC and DBM-PS were created during the administration of strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr., Imee’s father. — RSJ, GMA News