COA says it's not remiss in audit of NGO funds from gov't

The Commission on Audit (COA) on Wednesday said it is not asleep on its job in auditing  government funds given to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and people's organizations (POs).

“The Commission on Audit is not remiss in its duty to audit government funds released to NGOs/POs,” COA-Public Information Office head Jonathan Beltran told GMA News Online.

“In fact, COA Circular 2007-001 provides for the guidelines in the granting, utilization, accounting and auditing (section 7) of funds released to NGOs/POs,” he added.

COA issued the remark in response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s claim that COA chairman Michael Aguinaldo may face charges for dereliction of duty if he refuses to account for the funds given to the Philippine Red Cross.

Under the COA Circular 2007-001,  the “supervising auditor/ audit team leader of the GO which released the fund to the NGO/PO, or a team authorized under an approved office order, shall undertake the audit of the funds granted.”

The audit shall also ascertain the government organization’s compliance with the accreditation, awarding, and monitoring provisions; compliance with the circular; ascertain compliance with the provisions of the MOA among others.

Aguinaldo previously said the COA has no jurisdiction to audit the PRC, saying it can only audit payments to the humanitarian organization.

Duterte previously sought to have the government funds paid to the PRC audited.—LDF, GMA News