COA chief asked to appear at SC oral argument on ‘pork’

MANILA, Philippines—The Supreme Court called on Commission on Audit (CoA) chairperson Maria Gracia Pulido-Tan to appear before the high tribunal during the Oct. 8 oral argument on the petitions questioning the legality of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or the pork barrel.

COA Chief Maria Gracia Pulido-Tan

COA earlier released a Special Audit Report on the PDAF for 2007 to 2009, which revealed irregularities in the disbursement of the pork funds.

At the same time, the high court’s information chief Theodore Te said SC also ordered Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza to bring with them a representative from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and Congress “who would be able to competently answer questions related to, among others, the budgeting process and its implementation.”

The high court also issued a guideline on the issues to be discussed during the oral argument.

Among the issues to be discussed is whether petitioners former Manila councillor Greco Belgica, Social Justice Society and Pedrito Nepomuceno have the legal standing to file the petition; whether the issues they have raised are matters of policy not subject to judicial review; whether previous high court rulings on the pork barrel bar the re-litigation of the case.

At the same time, both parties were ordered to present their positions on whether the restraining order should be partially lifted or not.

Each side will be given 30 minutes to argue. Oral argument will start at 2 p.m.