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Aguinaldo ends term as COA chairman, fulfills vow to promote JO workers
Aguinaldo ends term as COA chairman, fulfills vow to promote JO workers
Commission on Audit Chairman Michael G. Aguinaldo, another Noynoy Aquino appointee who has won public recognition for his huge contribution in instilling honesty and good governance in public administration, stepped down at the end of the constitutionally-mandated tour of duty on Wednesday, Feb. 2.
But before his retirement, Aguinaldo promoted 199 job order (JO) workers from the COA central office and regional units to be permanent employees for their loyalty and service to the audit agency.
“These are qualified JO workers who have contributed, in their own ways, to the successful implementation of our programs and projects. I had promised them when I began my term of office that the Commission would work for their regularization,” Aguinaldo said.
COA disclosed that permanent employment status for 51 of the 199 JO workers came after they have served over 10 years. At total 57 have been with the audit agency for more than five years while 91 spent less than five years under uncertain employment status.
During his tenure at COA, Aguinaldo won praises from both the public and his fellow government servants for ensuring accountability for public services while promoting transparency.
The former COA chairman was among the appointees of the late President Benigno Aquino III who retired this month from a constitutional body.
Former Commission on Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon also retired from the poll body on February 2. Before stepping down, Guanzon exposed alleged political interference in Comelec’s resolution of the disqualification petition against presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Guanzon made allegations that the release of the decision is being purposely delayed. She voted to disqualify Marcos from the presidential race.
During his full seven-year term as COA chief, Aguinaldo was able to complete the construction of the Provincial Satellite Auditing Offices in 50 provinces and a regional office in Koronadal, South Cotabato. More PSAOs are being constructed in 12 more provinces.
He was able to institutionalize the multi-awarded Citizen Participatory Audit Program that recently won first place for Asia pacific Region in the recently concluded international Open Government Partnership Impact Awards.
“The Commission also embarked on an Audit Modernization Program, including the use of artificial intelligence in auditing through the Machine Intelligence, Knowledge-based Audit and Experience Learning Tool which detects statistical anomalies and allows the processing of voluminous data,” the COA revealed.
In the international front, COA has been designated external auditor of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Good and Agriculture Organization (FAO); and the United Nations Industrial Development Organizationm (UNIDO)l while serving as external auditor of the International Labour Organization (ILO).
It was elected to the governing board of the Asian Zorganization of Supreme Audit Institutions (ASOSAI); chaired the working group on Public Debt of the InternationalOrganization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI).
“Throughout this time, the Commission continued to perform its mandate under the Constitution, conducting annual financial and compliance audit of over 66,045 audit agencies, including 11,816 National Government Agencies and Government Owned and/or Controlled Corporations and 36,8008 Local Government Units, conducting special and fraud audits, rendering reports and providing training to officials of both the Commission and the auditees,” COA reported.