COA to ask employees to bare potential conflict of interest amid flood control probe

The Commission on Audit Commissioner (COA) will ask its officials and staff to disclose details of any interests that may conflict with their duties and responsibilities in the commission, amid the ongoing investigation into the anomalous flood control projects. 

COA chairperson Gamaliel Cordoba made the confirmation during the Senate Committee on Finance’s deliberations on the commission’s proposed 2026 budget, following the revelation that the wife of COA commissioner Mario Lipana is linked with a construction firm. 

“One of our commissioners ay nagkaroon po ng parang conflict of interest. Ang isa pong aming reform na gagawin is all our employees will be asked to issue a declaration of conflict of interest, kung ano kanilang mga economic interest at kung ito ay may conflict sa kanilang trabaho bilang auditor,” Cordoba said. 

(One of our commissioners apparently has a conflict of interest. One reform that we will do is ask all our employees to issue a declaration of conflict of interest, what their economic interests and if it has a conflict with their work as an auditor.) 

“Ito po ay suggestion sa 'min ng House of Representatives through Congressman Chel Diokno and ito po ay magiging aside from the SALN. Doon po kasi sa SALN, ang nakalagay lang ang corporation but you don't say naman ano ginagawa ng corporation at kung anong business… Dito sa amin, mas detalyado ang aming hihingin na mga information para makita talaga kung may conflict of interest o wala,” he added. 

(This is a suggestion to us by the House of Representatives through Congressman Chel Diokno, and it will be apart from the issuance of SALN. In the SALN, only the corporation is stated, but not what that corporation does and what business is it... In here, we will ask for more detailed information to really see if there is a conflict of interest or not.) 

It was earlier revealed during the House appropriations panel's hearing on COA’s proposed 2026 budget that Lipana’s wife is the president and general manager of Olympus Mining and Builders Group, a construction firm that won at least P326 million worth of government flood control contracts involving flood control structures, river walls, and road dikes in Angat River.

 Lipana's name was also mentioned in the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's investigation about his alleged involvement in anomalies in flood control projects.

‘Health concerns’

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, questioned the absence of Lipana in the hearing, noting that it has been a tradition that heads of agencies, including commissioners, are present during the deliberations of Congress on their proposed budget. 

Cordoba said that Lipana had been on leave since August 1, and extended it until October 30, due to health concerns. 

“He has been undergoing treatment sa abroad for his sickness. Actually medyo may oras na po na matagal na siyang nagpapagamot and sometimes po hindi siya nakakapasok and ito po, medyo extended,” Cordoba said. 

(Actually, he has been undergoing treatment for a long time, and sometimes he can't go to work, and now, his leave is extended.) 

“If mamarapatin po ng Honorable Chair natin, we can submit his medical certificate but ano lang po siguro, ang treatment nito ay para sa inyo muna lang po siguro,” he added. 

(If our Honorable Chair allows it, we can submit his medical certificate, but maybe this can be treated as confidential.) –NB, GMA Integrated News