CA confirms Lipana’s nomination as COA commissioner

The Commission on Appointments (CA) on Wednesday confirmed the appointment of Mario Gonzales Lipana as commissioner of the Commission on Audit.

Lipana was nominated to a term that will expire on February 2, 2027.

He served as the regional director of COA Region 4A and concurrent head of Intelligence and Confidential Fund Audit Office. 

“The challenge for every member  of the COA is to ensure accountability of public resources in the government. One of the challenges is the lack of personnel in the COA,” Lipana said during the deliberation.

Lipana vowed to work on speeding up resolutions by COA by adding more personnel and creating teams of certified public accountants and lawyers to act on cases.

Also during the deliberation, COA chairman Michael Aguinaldo  said a special audit team is now finalizing its report on the pandemic-related supply deals made by the Department of Health with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.

According to Aguinaldo, the report may be released in March this year.

"The audit highlights will probably be finalized by the end of February but the final report, probably [by] March," he said. 

The Senate blue ribbon committee is investigating the DOH's deals with Pharmally, particularly the procurement of personal protective equipment (PPEs).  —NB, GMA News