House version of proposed 2026 budget law to require COA to publish audit reports

The House Budget Amendments Review Committee (BARC) has approved a special provision requiring the Commission on Audit (COA) to publish its annual audit reports on or before October 31 of the following year under the proposed P6.793 trillion budget for 2026.

This developed after the BARC approved the inclusion of the said special provision, a departure of the current schedule wherein the COA uploaded its 2023 annual audit reports on various government agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations only by December 2024.

“The body accepts the proposed amendment under Section 103, Commission on Audit observation and recommendations, pertaining to transmittal and publication of annual audit reports, including its posting on its website on or before October 31 of the following year,” said Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing, the chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations.

COA chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba, based on the presentation shown by Suansing, asked the House to allow state auditors to disclose their annual audit reports to the public at an earlier timeline of on or before August 15 of the following year.

The House BARC decided to set the timeline of release of COA annual audit reports on or before October 31 of the following year instead.

All amendments approved by the House Budget Amendments Review Committee are expected to be introduced and approved before the House plenary on Friday, October 10. –NB, GMA Integrated News