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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DILG tells accountants: Be safeguards against fraud, corrupt acts

DILG tells accountants: Be safeguards against fraud, corrupt acts

Published Sep 5, 2025 10:16 am
The  Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) stressed that accountants play a crucial role in unearthing fraud, extracting liability for the corrupt acts of government personnel and their cohorts.
Speaking during a recent Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) conference in Tagaytay City, DILG Undersecretary for Public Affairs and Communications Rolando C. Puno urged accounting professionals to take a stand against corruption and play a central role grounded in clean and accountable governance.
He called on the accounting profession to take its place at the forefront of reform and accountability, noting that accountants are often the first to notice when irregularities arise. 
“Accountants are not just number-crunchers, your name and your integrity are at stake,” Puno emphasized.
He stressed that reform must include fixing systems, audits and disbursement processes that are key elements in upholding public trust.
“Your work may be technical, but the consequences are social and political. A bad audit can green-light a scam. A good accountant can stop it before it begins,” he added.
The DILG official also prodded the accounting profession to uphold the highest ethical standards and become champions of accountability. 
“Be the kind of leaders who make it easier to do the right thing. Be the reason a ghost project is exposed. Be the reason false reports are stopped. Be the one who says: ‘Hindi ako papayag dito (I will not allow this),’’ Puno maintained.
Puno then asked the participants during the conference to support the administration in helping deliver the promise of a Bagong Pilipinas that is honest, efficient and well-governed.
“We do not need thousands to change the system. We only need a few people in the right place, at the right time, with the courage to act. PICPA, you are in that place. We count on you,” Puno noted.
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