No intent to malign DOH: COA

MANILA – The Commission on Audit (COA) on Thursday said it had no intention to malign the Department of Health (DOH) in publishing its 2020 annual audit report regarding the “deficiencies” in the department’s management of PHP67 billion worth Covid-19 funds.

During the virtual hearing of the House Committee on Public Accounts, COA chairman Michael Aguinaldo reiterated that the report did not mention any finding that funds were lost due to corruption.

“The auditors did not say that there were any lost funds and that any such lost funds would have been lost to corruption. Wala pong finding na ganun (There’s no such finding). so that’s why we issued that and I think that’s proof that there was really no intent to malign the DOH,” Aguinaldo said.

Aguinaldo said the COA issued the clarificatory statement after DOH faced massive backlash over the findings, noting that “some wrong impressions” were being created about the report.

He said the report is an annual audit by auditors designated in various government agencies.

“This is something we do for all agencies. It’s the normal procedure. Wala pong pinagbago (Nothing has changed). If there’s any difference, there was also a focus on Covid funds since malaki ang allocation doon. Nagkaron po ng (the allocation is big for that. There was a) management letter focused only on the Covid funds. Pero (But) the annual report, it’s the same–year in, year out, same procedure followed,” he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte has advised COA to “reconfigure” its audit reports to avoid public perception that flagged government agencies have committed irregularities.

Duterte gave the advice after the commission, in its 2020 audit report, flagged deficiencies that need an explanation from government agencies.

“Alam ko walang malisya (I know there is no malice). You are just doing your duty. But in making the report, kindly reconfigure everything,” he said in his pre-recorded Talk to the People delivered Friday night and aired Saturday morning.

Duterte also urged the state audit body to clarify in its report that the deficiencies found do not mean a state department is involved in corrupt activities.

“I-underline ninyo (Just underline), ‘The report itself does not mention any findings by the auditors of funds lost to corruption.’ Maski ‘yan na lang ang unang sentence ninyo (That could be your opening sentence),” he said.

Article 9-D, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution states that the COA “shall have the power, authority, and duty to examine, audit, and settle all accounts pertaining to the revenue and receipts of, and expenditures or uses of funds and property, owned or held in trust by, or pertaining to, the Government, or any of its subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities, including government-owned or -controlled corporations with original charters, and on a post-audit basis.”

COA is one of the three independent constitutional bodies in the country, aside from the Commission on Elections and the Civil Service Commission.