Duterte wants to meet COA, Ombudsman execs to ‘simplify’ audit rules

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday night said he would want to meet with officials from the Office of the Ombudsman and the Commission on Audit (COA) to work out a way to “simplify” auditing mechanisms in government.

“I’d like to sit with the Executive Secretary and maybe invite some guys from the Ombudsman and this auditing office and let’s agree on certain procedures,” the President said in a speech in Malacañang during the first anniversary celebration of the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC).

In January this year, the President joked that he would kidnap and torture COA officials as he slammed the agency’s accountability measures that he said hampered government work.

READ: Duterte: Let’s just kidnap and torture COA execs

“Kasi noon naman sinabi ko, ipa-kidnap mo ‘yung [officials] kasi kung anu-ano na lang ang pinaglalagay kasi. ‘Yung regulations nila, nagpatong doon sa,” he said.

[I said back then that I would have the officials kidnapped because they have so many regulations.]

“They add more and more regulations,” he added.

The President tagged state auditors “crazy” — or “may katok” — with some of them “really stupid.”

“They are lost in a maze of so many requirements,” he said. “Some are really stupid. I don’t want to insult them. I have a healthy respect for [COA chief Michael] Aguinaldo.”

“Kaya sabi ko: Let’s simplify matters. Before the end of the year, I will just suggest [changes] and if [they are] accepted by all fine, if not then… Gusto kong isali ‘yung Congress,” he added. /atm