IBP says COA only fulfilling ‘constitutional duty’; tells DOH to just cooperate

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) should just cooperate with rather than blame the Commission on Audit (COA), which was only accomplishing its “constitutional duty” when it marked “deficiencies” worth P67.32 billion in the agency’s 202 COVID-19 response budget.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) said this Wednesday as Secretary Francisco Duque III accused the COA of damaging the dignity of DOH and its personnel when it released its audit report on the multi-billion pesos pandemic fund deficiencies of the health agency.

“We submit that rather than to criticize the COA and its auditors, the Department of Health should instead cooperate with them and explain the ‘deficiencies’ and submit documentation or supporting papers to explain its side,” said IBP board member Bert Estrada in a statement.

“When the COA issues a report, it fulfills its constitutional duty, nothing more,” he added.

The COA regularly posts all of its audit reports on its official website that is accessible to the public and the media as part of its mission to promote transparency in government. Its report on DOH’s pandemic fund deficiencies – which is not yet final – cited areas of concern and offered recommendations that the health department can adopt to correct the issues. The report did not say that the deficiencies were due to corruption.

But Duque decried what he called a “premature” COA report and claimed losing sleep over it. Even President Rodrigo Duterte issued harsh remarks against COA as he defended his ally, Duque.

READ: Duque admits ‘losing sleep’, ‘bloodied and bludgeoned’ over COA report on pandemic fund

Estrada, however, explained that COA’s function is to track government agencies’ use of public funds and resources to determine whether “it was utilized in an ‘unnecessary’ or ‘extravagant’ manner.”

“The COA’s report by itself bears no malice and is actually based on the government’s own records or the lack of it,” the IBP official pointed out.

The DOH said it already resolved most of the flagged deficiencies by COA.

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