Hontiveros grills COA over delayed release of special audit on Pharmally deals

Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday grilled the Commission on Audit (COA) over the delayed release of a special audit on government transactions with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation.

During the continuation of the Senate plenary deliberations on the proposed 2023 national budget, Hontiveros asked COA to update the lawmakers on the status of the special audit.

She mentioned a news report published in January that stated that the COA special audit team had planned to release the findings last March.

Senator Sonny Angara, who defended the budget of the state audit agency, said that COA was in the "final stages" and the completed report could be expected in around two months.

However, Hontiveros argued that COA had committed to releasing the report on the Pharmally deals by the end of 2021.

"But between March and now--- eight months-- so kung ang final report po natin sa dalawang buwan pa, bagong taon na po, 2023 na po," Hontiveros said.

"Dalawang taon na mula nang dapat na 2021 submission, so bakit pa-delay nang pa-delay... What's causing the delay sa COA na aming inaasahan na katuwang ng Senado ng buong Kongreso sa pagbabantay ng public funds?" she asked.

Angara explained that new COA Chairman Gamaliel Cordoba "just warmed his seat" but he vowed "to be on top of the situation" and submit the report within two months.

Angara informed Hontiveros that the COA already had some initial findings but they were still in the process of making corrections and getting confirmations or affirmations from the persons involved.

COA vowed that this would be the last extension for the report, Angara added.

"Aasahan po namin 'yung makumpleto, maiuulat sa publiko ang special task force investigation ng COA at ang final report niya, para matukoy talaga ano yung kumpletong mga krimen na ginawa dito sa Pharmally, sinu-sino ang mga accountable at para masingil yung accountability po na iyon," Hontiveros ended.

In the 18th Congress, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigated the transfer of P42 billion worth of COVID-19 funds from the Department of Health to the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service (PS-DBM).

The probe looked into the PS-DBM’s purchase of P8.6 billion worth of face masks, face shields, and PPEs from Pharmally, a firm that only had P625,000 in paid-up capital when it entered into government transactions.

During the hearing in September last year, the COA said they had started the special audit on the PS-DBM's deals with Pharmally. — DVM, GMA Integrated News