Get rid of resident auditors, COA urged

The Commission on Audit. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–The Commission on Audit (COA) should do away with its resident auditors in state agencies since COA itself has been conducting a number of special fraud audit probes anyway.

Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Samuel Martires made the suggestion to COA Commissioner Heidi Mendoza during her appearance at the Sandiganbayan on Wednesday as a prosecution witness in the case against former Makati City Mayor Elenita Binay, wife of Vice President Jejomar Binay.

“Shouldn’t COA just abolish its resident auditors and just put in auditors who are adept in financial transactions and detecting fraud?” Martires told Mendoza during a break from her cross-examination by Binay’s counsel on her allegation that the bidding for P72 million furniture purchase by Makati in 2001 was rigged.

Martires questioned the basis for the COA to conduct a special audit when its resident auditors have already cleared a government agency and its transactions in its annual audit report.

Mendoza admitted that aside from not trusting resident auditors, the COA has to conduct special audit fraud investigations on media reports of fraudulent transactions in government, as part of government-wide sectoral audits, and upon the request of legislators.

Martires expressed concern that the COA could suffer from “audit overload” with the way it was holding post-audit investigations that have in turn led to a number of cases being filed with the Sandigabayan.

Martires said that if only the COA could get its act together and conduct unassailable audit reports, the Sandiganabayan might be abolished too.