Business groups rally to COA, mandate amid criticism

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MANILA – Various business groups gathered on Saturday to support the Audit Commission (COA) and its findings, days after angering officials for reporting discrepancies in the disbursement of public funds.

In a joint statement, 26 business groups said the constitutional mandate of the COA must be respected to keep democratic institutions free from corruption.

The COA’s findings must also be respected, they added, as they show important records that warrant public concern.

Earlier this week, President Rodrigo Duterte urged members of his cabinet to ignore the COA reports because nothing really happens if they are released.

“This is the constitutional nature of the Commission, with the power and mandatory duty to serve as a control and a solid balance over the power to disburse and use public funds and property, to ensure that effective controls are in place to protect government financial assets and property, improve effectiveness and efficiency, and be a vital instrument against corruption and the misuse of public funds and property, ”the statement said.

Business groups also pointed out that the 1987 Constitution describes the COA as an independent body free from political influence.

It is therefore the duty of the Filipino public to ensure that constitutional agencies remain independent and that their mandates are respected, they added.

This is more important now that the country faces uncertainties due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which is also why the public should support agencies tasked with fighting corruption in government.

“Respect for their constitutional mandates goes beyond respect for the law; it is an affirmation of the moral duty and of the social conscience that we owe to our people. Our Constitution, which every public official has sworn to respect on pain of punishment, demands no less, “the statement said.

“Corruption and corruption … will worsen the current situation caused by the pandemic of widespread hunger, unemployment, uncertainty and undue hardship and suffering for our people. “

Groups that signed the declaration included:

AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OF THE PHILIPPINES, INC. (AMCHAM) ATENEO DE MANILA UNIVERSITY ATENEO DE NAGA UNIVERSITY ATENEO DE ZAMBOANA UNIVERSITY CHAMBER OF THRIFT BANKS FILIPINA CEO CIRCLE FINANCIAL EXECUTIALS INSTITUTE OF THE PNEXFILIPPIVES CEBU) FINEX ACADEMY INC. FINEX RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION, INC. FINTECH ALLIANCE PH GUILD OF ENTREPRENEURS AND REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS INC. (GREENPRO) INSTITUT DE LA SOLIDARITÉ EN ASIA INC. INVESTMENT HOUSE ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (IHAP) JUDICIAL REFORM INITIATIVE (JRI) LICENSING EXECUTIVES SOCIETY PHILIPPINES (LESP) MAKATI BUSINESS CLUB (MBC) GESTION ASSOCIATION OF THE PHILIPPINES (MAP) PHILIPPINE EXECUTIVE ET CONSEIL D’ASSOCIATION (DIA) ASSOCIATION (DIA) SHAREHOLDERS OF THE PHILIPPINES SUBDIVISION (SHAREPHIL) AND HOUSING OF VELOPERS ASSOCIATION INC. (SHDA) ASSOCIATION DE GESTION FISCALE DES PHILIPPINES (TMAP) XAVIER UNIVERSITY – ATENEO DE CAGAYAN DE ORO

Duterte’s anti-COA remarks came amid growing criticism of the Department of Health (DOH), which the COA says has mismanaged P67 billion in COVID-19 funds.

Lawmakers, however, also reminded the president of the COA’s constitutional mandate, with a former COA commissioner stressing that their reports reflect how much they like to protect the government from corruption.

The COA is the supreme audit body of the Philippine government, with the 1987 Constitution reaffirming its role as the “sole official external auditor” of government agencies as well as government owned and controlled companies (GOCCs).

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