Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co (Facebook)

The House Committee on Appropriations is willing to consider the Office of the Ombudsman's suggestion to do away with the publication requirement for Commission on Audit (COA) audit reports. 

Committee chairman Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, in a statement Thursday night, Sept. 14, said the panel is "open to studying the suggestion of theHonorable Ombudsman Samuel Martires regarding the removal from the general provision of the General Appropriations Act (GAA) on publishing the Audit Observation Memorandum". 

Co said his committee "will carefully evaluate the impact and implications of such action". 

"I understand the concern about preventing premature judgments and confusion among the public when reading audit reports. The impact of such publications on government officials' reputations is an important consideration," said the Bicolano. 

"Rest assured that Ombudsman Martires’s proposal will be discussed thoroughly within the committee, and we will engage in a comprehensive review to determine the best course of action in line with our commitment to transparency and accountability in government," he added. 

The GAA is the enacted national budget. The proposed P5.768-trillion outlay for 2024 is undergoing the legislative process in the House of Representatives, which possesses the power of the purse. 

Following an execom meeting of the appropriations committee on Thursday afternoon, Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo, the senior deputy vice chairperson, said that the COA publication requirement remained intact.