Duterte support sought for revival of pre-audit system in gov't disbursements

San Jose del Monte City Rep. Florida “Rida” Robes on Sunday, Sept. 5 urged President Rodrigo Duterte to certify as urgent a bill that would revive the pre-audit system for government expenditures.

Robes, chairperson of the House Committee on People’s Participation, said House Bill 7124 which she filed recently will address controversies triggered by the post-audit system of examining public fund disbursements.

“If I may be allowed to make a suggestion and an appeal to our President, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, to certify as urgent House Bill No. 7124 which seeks to institutionalize a pre-audit system in the disbursement of public funds in order to prevent or minimize any questions on how public funds are used,” Robes said.

Pre-audit used to be the system of audit examination conducted by the Commission on Audit.

Robes backed pre-audit that mandates that all transactions and contracts are reviewed before public funds are released for their implementation.

She said this will ensure that government funds are used according to what they were allocated for within the allotted period.

The lady lawmaker is confident that pre-audit will ensure better transparency in financial transactions of various agencies of the government.

According to her under the pre-audit system all expenditures and uses of public funds pertaining to infrastructure projects, procurement of goods and consulting services, including lease of goods and real property, of any branch, office agency or instrumentality of the government, including state universities and colleges, government-owned and controlled corporations, government financial institutions and local government governments shall undergo mandatory pre-audit before any funds are released for such projects or contracts.

“If this bill gets passed I sincerely believe that this will promote transparency and accountability in the disbursement of public funds and as it will ensure that government agencies and local government agencies have the capacity to implement the program within the allotted period,” she said.

HB 7124 will ensure that there will be no delay in the disbursements, because COA is mandated to issue a Certificate of Pre-Audit within a period of 15 days from receipt of all pertinent documents.

If the COA does not issue a certificate, it is mandated to decline the issuance of the same, on valid and legal grounds within a period of 15 days from receipt of all pertinent documents relative to the intended disbursement of public funds.

To implement the pre-audit system, the bill creates a Pre-Audit Office at the COA for the manpower requirement to guarantee immediate compliance of the system’s requirements.

For purposes of transparency, the COA is mandated to submit an annual report to the President of the Philippines and to Congress on the status of the implementation of the pre-audit system not later than June 30 of every year following its approval.